I would have written two functions instead where one takes a default argument and the other returns None if the list is empty. In pseudo-Haskell notation:

I would have written two functions instead where one takes a default argument and the other returns None if the list is empty. In pseudo-Haskell notation: min1 : Int -> List Int -> Int min1 def Nil = def min1 def (Cons x xs) = min1 (def if def <= x else x) xs min : List Int -> Maybe Int min Nil = None min (Cons x xs) = min1 x xs