closes#5333
This PR tries to address issue #5333.
My conjecture is that the binder annotations for `C.toB` and
`Algebra.toSMul` are not ideal. `Algebra.toSMul` is one of declarations
where the new command `set_synth_order` was used. Both classes, `C` and
`Algebra`, are parametric over instances, and in both cases, the issue
arises due to projection instances: `C.toB` and `Algebra.toSMul`. Let's
focus on the binder annotations for `C.toB`. They are as follows:
```
C.toB [inst : A 20000] [self : @C inst] : @B ...
```
As a projection, it seems odd that `inst` is an instance-implicit
argument instead of an implicit one, given that its value is fixed by
`self`. We observe the same issue in `Algebra.toSMul`:
```
Algebra.toSMul {R : Type u} {A : Type v} [inst1 : CommSemiring R] [inst2 : Semiring A]
[self : @Algebra R A inst1 inst2] : SMul R A
```
The PR changes the binder annotations as follows:
```
C.toB {inst : A 20000} [self : @C inst] : @B ...
```
and
```
Algebra.toSMul {R : Type u} {A : Type v} {inst1 : CommSemiring R} {inst2 : Semiring A}
[self : @Algebra R A inst1 inst2] : SMul R A
```
In both cases, the `set_synth_order` is used to force `self` to be
processed first.
In the MWE, there is no instance for `C ...`, and `C.toB` is quickly
discarded. I suspect a similar issue occurs when trying to use
`Algebra.toSMul`, where there is no `@Algebra R A ... ...`, but Lean
spends unnecessary time trying to synthesize `CommSemiring R` and
`Semiring A` instances. I believe the new binder annotations make sense,
as if there is a way to synthesize `Algebra R A ... ...`, it will tell
us how to retrieve the instance-implicit arguments.
TODO:
- Impact on Mathlib.
- Document changes.
---------
Co-authored-by: Kim Morrison <scott.morrison@gmail.com>
Co-authored-by: Johan Commelin <johan@commelin.net>
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