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docs/eager-inference-annotations-for-polymorphic-types.md

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+# Eager Inference Annotations for Polymorphic Types
+
+## Summary  
+
+The RFC introduces a feature to annotate polymorphic function types to express that the first bind to `T` will be the one that sticks. 
+
+## Motivation  
+
+The purpose of this feature is to develop syntax to prevent polymorphic types from widening into (e.g., number | string) when a function is implicitly instantiated with different argument types. E.g., `test(1, "a")`. In the following code, Luau's Type Inference Engine V2 infers `T` to be of a union type:
+
+```luau
+function test<T>(a: T, b: T): T
+    return a
+end
+
+local result = test(1, "string") -- inferred type `T`: number | string"
+```
+
+This behaviour can be useful in some cases but is undesirable when a polymorphic type is intended to constrain the subsequent input types to be identical to the first usage.
+
+## Design  
+
+We propose adding some symbol as a suffix (or prefix) that annotates the "eager" inference behaviour for a polymorphic type.
+Subsequent uses of a polymorphic type `T` where `T` is "eager" will be inferred as the precise type of the first occurrence.
+
+### New Syntax
+
+The `!` syntax modifier would would enforce an eager inference behaviour for `T!`:
+
+```luau
+function test<T!>(a: T, b: T): T
+    return a
+end
+
+test(1, "string") -- TypeError: Expected `number`, got `string`
+```
+
+## Drawbacks  
+
+- Introduces a new syntax modifier `!`, which may lead to a symbol soup. However, `T!` doesn't seem too shabby next to `T?`.
+- Introduces a simple change to luau's parser, marginally increasing parsing complexity.
+
+## Alternatives  
+### Per-usage-bindings
+Flip the relationship being declarared per-type-parameter to per-usage which provides more control in expressing the inference, and could allow both instantiation behaviours of polymorphic types under a uniform syntax.
+
+A polymorphic typed marked with type `T!` will not contribute to the instantiation of type `T` in the function. Instead, `T` should be inferred on the arguments without the annotation:
+
+```luau
+function test<T>(first: T, second: T, third: T!): T
+    return first
+end
+
+test(1, "string", true) -- TypeError: Type `boolean` could not be converted into `number | string`
+```
+
+This has the added drawback that the `!` syntax modifier would need to be barred from return types, as the return type holds no relevance to implicit instantiation.
+Also has the major drawback of symbol complexity. E.g., type aliases with `T!?` are entirely possible under this model.
+
+### noinfer\<T\>
+Same as above, except we introduce no new syntax, symbol usage, etc. into the language. Create a binding similar or equivalent to typescript's noinfer<T>:
+
+```luau
+function test<T>(first: T, second: T, third: noinfer<T>): T
+    return first
+end
+
+test(1, "string", true) -- TypeError: Type `boolean` could not be converted into `number | string`
+```
+
+### Keywords
+Something like `<greedy T>` or `<strict T>` should also be considered if we want to reduce symbols.