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Infinite call recursion in rustc when resolving associated types #145998

@rmalmain

Description

@rmalmain

When compiling the code below, rustc hangs indefinitely by calling a chain of functions recursively and continuously allocates memory, eventually causing the computer to run out of memory.

Note keeping FooTypeA and removing FooTypeB seems to produce the intended behaviour.

Code

pub trait Foo {
    type FooTypeA<'a>;
    type FooTypeB<'a>;
}

pub struct Implementor<C> {
    member: C
}

impl<C> Foo for Implementor<C>
where
        for<'a> C: Foo<FooTypeA<'a>=Self::FooTypeA<'a>, FooTypeB<'a>=Self::FooTypeB<'a>>,
{
    type FooTypeA<'a> = ();
    type FooTypeB<'a> = ();
}

Meta

The bug can be reproduced with both the latest stable and nightly compiler.

Stable
rustc --version --verbose:

rustc 1.89.0 (29483883e 2025-08-04)
binary: rustc
commit-hash: 29483883eed69d5fb4db01964cdf2af4d86e9cb2
commit-date: 2025-08-04
host: x86_64-unknown-linux-gnu
release: 1.89.0
LLVM version: 20.1.7

Nightly
rustc --version --verbose:

rustc 1.91.0-nightly (f2824da98 2025-08-28)
binary: rustc
commit-hash: f2824da98d44c4a4e17bf39eb45103c8fc249117
commit-date: 2025-08-28
host: x86_64-unknown-linux-gnu
release: 1.91.0-nightly
LLVM version: 21.1.0

Error output

No error output, the compiler hangs until the machine gets OOM.

Stacktrace

To produce a stacktrace, I used heaptrack and attached it to the running compiler.
I obviously only kept a short part of the stacktrace, since it's calling functions recursively.

Backtrace

rustc_trait_selection::traits::project::opt_normalize_projection_term in librustc_driver-10840eac1eb39611.so
<rustc_trait_selection::traits::select::SelectionContext>::poly_select::{closure#0} in librustc_driver-10840eac1eb39611.so
<rustc_trait_selection::traits::normalize::AssocTypeNormalizer as rustc_type_ir::fold::TypeFolder<rustc_middle::ty::context::TyCtxt>>::fold_binder::<rustc_type_ir::predicate_kind::PredicateKind<rustc_middle::ty::context::TyCtxt>> in librustc_driver-10840eac1eb39611.so
<rustc_trait_selection::traits::normalize::AssocTypeNormalizer as rustc_type_ir::fold::TypeFolder<rustc_middle::ty::context::TyCtxt>>::fold_ty in librustc_driver-10840eac1eb39611.so
rustc_trait_selection::traits::project::opt_normalize_projection_term in librustc_driver-10840eac1eb39611.so
<rustc_trait_selection::traits::select::SelectionContext>::poly_select::{closure#0} in librustc_driver-10840eac1eb39611.so
<rustc_trait_selection::traits::normalize::AssocTypeNormalizer as rustc_type_ir::fold::TypeFolder<rustc_middle::ty::context::TyCtxt>>::fold_binder::<rustc_type_ir::predicate_kind::PredicateKind<rustc_middle::ty::context::TyCtxt>> in librustc_driver-10840eac1eb39611.so
<rustc_trait_selection::traits::normalize::AssocTypeNormalizer as rustc_type_ir::fold::TypeFolder<rustc_middle::ty::context::TyCtxt>>::fold_ty in librustc_driver-10840eac1eb39611.so
rustc_trait_selection::traits::project::opt_normalize_projection_term in librustc_driver-10840eac1eb39611.so
<rustc_trait_selection::traits::select::SelectionContext>::poly_select::{closure#0} in librustc_driver-10840eac1eb39611.so
<rustc_trait_selection::traits::normalize::AssocTypeNormalizer as rustc_type_ir::fold::TypeFolder<rustc_middle::ty::context::TyCtxt>>::fold_binder::<rustc_type_ir::predicate_kind::PredicateKind<rustc_middle::ty::context::TyCtxt>> in librustc_driver-10840eac1eb39611.so
<rustc_trait_selection::traits::normalize::AssocTypeNormalizer as rustc_type_ir::fold::TypeFolder<rustc_middle::ty::context::TyCtxt>>::fold_ty in librustc_driver-10840eac1eb39611.so
rustc_trait_selection::traits::project::opt_normalize_projection_term in librustc_driver-10840eac1eb39611.so
[snip]

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    A-trait-systemArea: Trait systemC-bugCategory: This is a bug.I-hangIssue: The compiler never terminates, due to infinite loops, deadlock, livelock, etc.T-compilerRelevant to the compiler team, which will review and decide on the PR/issue.fixed-by-next-solverFixed by the next-generation trait solver, `-Znext-solver`.

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