Const Generics Resolution in Rust

Const generics in Rust allow you to write code that operates on compile-time constants. This challenge focuses on implementing a function that utilizes const generics to perform a calculation based on a constant input, demonstrating the power and flexibility of this feature. Successfully completing this challenge will solidify your understanding of const generics and their application in Rust.

Problem Description

You are tasked with implementing a function calculate_power that takes a constant value base of type T and a constant value exponent of type U as input. The function should calculate base raised to the power of exponent at compile time. The function must work for any integer types T and U where U is a non-negative constant. The result should be a T type.

Key Requirements:

Const Generics: The function must use const generics T and U.
Compile-Time Calculation: The power calculation must be performed at compile time. This means no runtime calculations are allowed.
Non-Negative Exponent: The exponent U must be a non-negative constant. Negative exponents are not supported.
Integer Types: Both base and exponent must be integer types.
Correctness: The function must return the correct result for valid inputs.
Zero Exponent: Handle the case where the exponent is zero correctly (result should be 1).
Overflow Handling: While not strictly required to prevent overflow, the code should be written in a way that doesn't actively cause panics due to overflow. The compiler will likely catch overflows at compile time if possible.

Expected Behavior:

The calculate_power function should return the result of base raised to the power of exponent as a T type. The calculation should be performed at compile time, meaning the result is known during compilation.

Edge Cases to Consider:

exponent is 0: The result should be 1.
base is 0: If exponent is 0, the result is 1. If exponent is positive, the result is 0.
Large values of base and exponent that might lead to overflow. The compiler should ideally catch these at compile time.

Examples

Example 1:

Input: base = 2, exponent = 3
Output: 8
Explanation: 2 raised to the power of 3 is 8. This is calculated at compile time.

Example 2:

Input: base = 5, exponent = 0
Output: 1
Explanation: Any number raised to the power of 0 is 1.

Example 3:

Input: base = 0, exponent = 5
Output: 0
Explanation: 0 raised to any positive power is 0.

Example 4:

Input: base = 3, exponent = 4
Output: 81
Explanation: 3 raised to the power of 4 is 81.

Constraints

T and U must be integer types.
U must be a non-negative constant.
The function should be efficient in terms of compile time. Avoid unnecessary complexity.
The code should be well-documented and readable.

Notes

Consider using the const keyword to define constant values within the function if needed. The std::num::Wrapping type can be helpful for handling potential overflows, although it's not strictly required to prevent panics. The key is to perform the calculation at compile time using const generics. Think about how you can leverage Rust's const evaluation capabilities to achieve this. Recursive const functions can be a powerful tool here.