trait Zero trait Succ[N] trait ZipWith[N, S] { type T val x: T = sys.error("") } object ZipWith { implicit def ZeroZipWith[S]: ZipWith[Zero,S]{type T = Stream[S]} = new ZipWith[Zero, S] { type T = Stream[S] } implicit def SuccZipWith[N, S, R](implicit zWith : ZipWith[N, R]): ZipWith[Succ[N],S => R]{type T = Stream[S] => zWith.T} = new ZipWith[Succ[N], S => R] { type T = Stream[S] => zWith.T // dependent types replace the associated types functionality } // can't use implicitly[ZipWith[Succ[Succ[Zero]], Int => String => Boolean]], // since that will chop of the {type T = ... } refinement in adapt (pt = ZipWith[Succ[Succ[Zero]], Int => String => Boolean]) // this works // def zipWith(implicit zw: ZipWith[Succ[Succ[Zero]], Int => String => Boolean]): zw.T = zw.x // thus, I present ?: implicitly on steroids! def ?[T <: AnyRef](implicit w: T): w.type = w type _0 = Zero type _1 = Succ[Zero] type _2 = Succ[Succ[Zero]] val zw = ?[ZipWith[_2, Int => String => Boolean]]( SuccZipWith[_1, Int, String => Boolean]( SuccZipWith[_0, String, Boolean])).x // val zw = implicitly[ZipWith[Succ[Succ[Zero]], Int => String => Boolean]{type T = Stream[Int] => Stream[String] => Stream[Boolean]}].x }