Generic programming adds a new dimension to the para-metrisation of programs by allowing programs to be dependent on the structure of the data that they manipulate. Apart from the practical advantages of improved productivity that this offers, a major potential advantage is a substantial reduction in the burden of proof - by making programs more general we can also make them more robust and more reliable. These lectures discuss a theory of datatypes based on the algebra of relations which forms a basis for understanding datatype-generic programs. We review the notion of parametric polymorphism much exploited in conventional functional programming languages and show how it is extended to the higher-order notions of polymorphism relevant to generic programming.
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