Cannot declare `let rec`s within the RHS of a multi-pattern-match arm
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Description
Prerequisites
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- Check that your issue is not already filed:
https://github.com/leanprover/lean4/issues - Reduce the issue to a minimal, self-contained, reproducible test case.
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Description
When attempting to declare a let rec in the body of a pattern-match arm that matches on multiple patterns simultaneously, the elaborator attempts to declare the let rec repeatedly in each desugared match arm, which fails because the duplicate declarations conflict with each other.
Context
This was discovered while debugging #6927, not "organically" during general use.
Steps to Reproduce
Consider the following code:
def foo (xs : List Nat) :=
match xs with
| [x] | [x, _] =>
let rec y := x -- error: 'foo.y' has already been declared
y
| _ => 0
def bar : List Nat → Nat
| [x] | [x, _] =>
let rec y := x -- error: 'bar.y' has already been declared
y
| _ => 0
Expected behavior: The definitions compile.
Actual behavior: The definitions fail to compile with the error indicated above.
Versions
Lean 4.18.0-nightly-2025-03-03
Target: x86_64-unknown-linux-gnu
Impact
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Contributor guide
First steps
- Read the whole issue, then the project's contributing guide.
- Comment on the issue to say you are picking it up — it saves two people doing the same work.
- Fork the repository and make your change on a branch.
- Open a pull request that references the issue number.
Research direction
Start by compiling the two minimal examples in the issue on Lean 4.18.0-nightly-2025-03-03 and reproduce the duplicate-declaration error. Investigate the elaborator's handling of multi-pattern-match arms and their desugaring of the RHS; done means both foo and bar compile with the shown let rec bindings.
Written by the indexing model from the issue text.
Assessment
- Domain
- compilers
- Issue type
- Bug
- Difficulty
- 4/5
- Estimated time
- 3-5 days
- Activity status
- Stale
- Clarity
- Mostly clear
- Newbie friendliness
- 35/100