Difference list
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In computer science, the term difference list refers to a data structure representing a list with an efficient O(1) concatenation operation and conversion to a linked list in time proportional to its length. Difference lists can be implemented using first-class functions or using unification. Whether a difference list is more efficient than other list representations depends on usage patterns. If an algorithm builds a list by concatenating smaller lists, which are themselves built by concatenating still smaller lists, then the usage of difference lists can improve performance by effectively "flattening" the list building computations.
In computer science, the term difference list refers to a data structure representing a list with an efficient O(1) concatenation operation and conversion to a linked list in time proportional to its length. Difference lists can be implemented using first-class functions or using unification. Whether a difference list is more efficient than other list representations depends on usage patterns. If an algorithm builds a list by concatenating smaller lists, which are themselves built by concatenating still smaller lists, then the usage of difference lists can improve performance by effectively "flattening" the list building computations.
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