i'm looking at a factoring function which i've defined as: factorList = map factors where factors p = [ f | f <- [1..fsq p], p `mod` f == 0 ] fsq :: (RealFrac a, Integral b, Floating a) => a -> b fsq = floor . sqrt it goes into ghci just fine, but then when i give it something to go i get errors: *Main> :r Ok, modules loaded: Main. *Main> factorList [4,8,16,32] <interactive>:1:0: Ambiguous type variable `t' in the constraints: `RealFrac t' arising from a use of `it' at <interactive>:1:0-21 `Integral t' arising from a use of `it' at <interactive>:1:0-21 `Floating t' arising from a use of `it' at <interactive>:1:0-21 Probable fix: add a type signature that fixes these type variable(s) so i'm not sure where the unhappiness lies because there is no line number. i examine fsq more closely, because that looks like the most complicated part of the whole thing and try to define it separately: *Main> let fsq = floor . sqrt *Main> :t fsq fsq :: (RealFrac a, Integral b, Floating a) => a -> b ok this seems weird to me because i would have thought things are far simpler with fsq :: Int -> Int however, i guess because we have a composition here, the compiler wants the fact that sqrt :: (Floating a) => a -> a floor :: (RealFrac a, Integral b) => a -> b incorporated in the type? but even if i put the fsq :: (RealFrac a, Integral b, Floating a) => a -> b in to the factorList, i get errors, though the fsq works fine on its own. hence, i have a situation where the parts seem to work, but the whole doesn't because there seems to be some problem with type? -- In friendship, prad ... with you on your journey Towards Freedom http://www.towardsfreedom.com (website) Information, Inspiration, Imagination - truly a site for soaring I's