In recent years, Vladimir Parfinenko has been developing the Java and Kotlin debugger for the IntelliJ IDEA project at JetBrains. Previously, he spent more than ten years working on an optimizing compiler for Excelsior JET, an independent JVM built around ahead-of-time (AOT) compilation. He also taught programming fundamentals to students for many years.

X: @cypok

LOCATION: Bern

SPEAKER: Vladimir Parfinenko   COMPANY: JetBrains
SLIDES: 20250402_Tail-Recursion_jugch_2025.pdf

Transforming tail recursion into a loop is a popular optimization in functional programming languages; however, in the Java world, this transformation is shrouded in mystery.

We will explore whether replacing tail-recursive calls with loops is possible in Java, why one might want to do so, and which virtual machines support this (and whether it’s legal). We will also examine third-party tools that can help you optimize your programs in a functional style. And we will look at JVM-friendly languages that have more pronounced functional tendencies (such as Scala, Kotlin, etc.).

LANGUAGE: Talk: en / Slides: en

In recent years, Vladimir Parfinenko has been developing the Java and Kotlin debugger for the IntelliJ IDEA project at JetBrains. Previously, he spent more than ten years working on an optimizing compiler for Excelsior JET, an independent JVM built around ahead-of-time (AOT) compilation. He also taught programming fundamentals to students for many years.

X: @cypok

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