scala - Type mismatch on abstract type used in pattern matching

Question

This code compiles with an error:

def f1[T](e: T): T = e match {
  case i:Int => i
  case b:Boolean => b
}
// type mismatch;
// found   : i.type (with underlying type Int)
// required: T
// case i:Int => i ...

And this code implementing GADT looks pretty identical from type checking perspective, but compiles without error:

sealed trait Expr[T]
case class IntExpr(i: Int) extends Expr[Int]
case class BoolExpr(b: Boolean) extends Expr[Boolean]

def eval[T](e: Expr[T]): T = e match {
  case IntExpr(i) => i
  case BoolExpr(b) => b
}

In both cases inside pattern matching expression we know that i and b are Int and Boolean. Why compilation failed on first example and succeeded on the second one?

Answer 1

The first case is unsound because you underestimate the variety of types in Scala type system. It would make sense if, when we took case i:Int branch we knew T was Int, or at least a supertype of Int. But it doesn't have to be! E.g. it could be 42.type or a tagged type.

There's no such problem in the second case, because from IntExpr <: Expr[T], the compiler does know T must be exactly Int.