In a way, you’re trying too hard here. Remember that Haskell has non-strict evaluation—this means that there’s no real difference between the following:

1) a function that takes an integer and then tail calls itself with the next integer in some pre-determined sequence, and

2) a function that takes a sequence and then tail calls itself on the tail of the sequence, combined with a function that produces a pre-determined sequence.

In both cases, the next number in sequence will only be produced when it is needed—this isn’t an imperative language where returning a list means you will always be allocating and holding that list in memory. Instead, you might think of a function that returns a list as being exactly the same thing as a function that returns a description of the process of how to produce that list.

I hope that was at least a little clearer than it sounds to me right now.

The function you are after is:

foldr op v (take n [1 .. ])

Or you could use the definition of the function

iter

as defined in FXSL.

Which is actually composing a function with itself N times

f.f.f….f initval

Cheers,
Dimitre Novatchev