I'm investigating rational numbers with Haskell. This is the source I've found data Ratio a = !a :% !a deriving (Eq) reduce :: (Integral a) => a -> a -> Ratio a {-# SPECIALISE reduce :: Integer -> Integer -> Rational #-} reduce _ 0 = ratioZeroDenominatorError reduce x y = (x `quot` d) :% (y `quot` d) where d = gcd x y (%) :: (Integral a) => a -> a -> Ratio a x % y = reduce (x * signum y) (abs y) The Ratio data type would seem to be a parameterized type with two parameters of the same type that must be "settled" in that they're not to be lazily dealt with. Then the :% is the data constructor, the : meaning it's a data constructor and not just an operation function. So this could have been data Ratio a = :% !a !a deriving (Eq) correct? But then what confuses me is in reduce, why reduce x y = (x `quot` d) :% (y `quot` d) and not just %? We have :% defined in the data type and then (%) defined as a function. What is going on here? -- ⨽ Lawrence Bottorff Grand Marais, MN, USA borgauf@gmail.com