Self-referential expressions in functional programming allow for the definition of recursive structures where expressions can invoke themselves, crucial for powerful data manipulation.
In Scala, self-referential expressions can be achieved through recursion or lazy evaluation, as seen in the recursive factorial function that defines itself.
Using lazy val to create a self-referential LazyList, like infiniteList, demonstrates how infinite structures can be defined and accessed without immediate computation.
Cyclic data structures can be created in Scala using case classes, as seen in the cyclicList example, which enables explicit self-references.
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