diff --git a/library/data/fintype.lean b/library/data/fintype.lean
index 87764de7b..30c5244a2 100644
--- a/library/data/fintype.lean
+++ b/library/data/fintype.lean
@@ -7,7 +7,7 @@ Authors: Leonardo de Moura
 Finite type (type class)
 -/
 import data.list data.bool
-open list bool unit decidable
+open list bool unit decidable option function
 
 structure fintype [class] (A : Type) : Type :=
 (elems : list A) (unique : nodup elems) (complete : ∀ a, a ∈ elems)
@@ -20,7 +20,7 @@ fintype.mk [ff, tt]
   dec_trivial
   (λ b, match b with | tt := dec_trivial | ff := dec_trivial end)
 
-definition fintype_product [instance] {A B : Type} : fintype A → fintype B → fintype (A × B)
+definition fintype_product [instance] {A B : Type} : Π [h₁ : fintype A] [h₂ : fintype B], fintype (A × B)
 | (fintype.mk e₁ u₁ c₁) (fintype.mk e₂ u₂ c₂) :=
   fintype.mk
     (cross_product e₁ e₂)
@@ -29,3 +29,54 @@ definition fintype_product [instance] {A B : Type} : fintype A → fintype B →
       match p with
       (a, b) := mem_cross_product (c₁ a) (c₂ b)
       end)
+
+/- auxiliary function for finding 'a' s.t. f a ≠ g a -/
+section find_discr
+variables {A B : Type}
+variable  [h : decidable_eq B]
+include h
+definition find_discr (f g : A → B) : list A → option A
+| []     := none
+| (a::l) := if f a = g a then find_discr l else some a
+
+theorem find_discr_nil (f g : A → B) : find_discr f g [] = none :=
+rfl
+
+theorem find_discr_cons_of_ne {f g : A → B} {a : A} (l : list A) : f a ≠ g a → find_discr f g (a::l) = some a :=
+assume ne, if_neg ne
+
+theorem find_discr_cons_of_eq {f g : A → B} {a : A} (l : list A) : f a = g a → find_discr f g (a::l) = find_discr f g l :=
+assume eq, if_pos eq
+
+theorem ne_of_find_discr_eq_some {f g : A → B} {a : A} : ∀ {l}, find_discr f g l = some a → f a ≠ g a
+| []     e := option.no_confusion e
+| (x::l) e := by_cases
+  (λ h : f x = g x,
+     have aux : find_discr f g l = some a, by rewrite [find_discr_cons_of_eq l h at e]; exact e,
+     ne_of_find_discr_eq_some aux)
+  (λ h : f x ≠ g x,
+     have aux : some x = some a, by rewrite [find_discr_cons_of_ne l h at e]; exact e,
+     option.no_confusion aux (λ xeqa : x = a, eq.rec_on xeqa h))
+
+theorem all_eq_of_find_discr_eq_none {f g : A → B} : ∀ {l}, find_discr f g l = none → ∀ a, a ∈ l → f a = g a
+| []     e a i := absurd i !not_mem_nil
+| (x::l) e a i := by_cases
+  (λ fx_eq_gx : f x = g x,
+    have aux : find_discr f g l = none, by rewrite [find_discr_cons_of_eq l fx_eq_gx at e]; exact e,
+    or.elim (eq_or_mem_of_mem_cons i)
+      (λ aeqx : a = x, by rewrite [-aeqx at fx_eq_gx]; exact fx_eq_gx)
+      (λ ainl : a ∈ l, all_eq_of_find_discr_eq_none aux a ainl))
+  (λ fx_ne_gx : f x ≠ g x,
+    have aux : some x = none, by rewrite [find_discr_cons_of_ne l fx_ne_gx at e]; exact e,
+    option.no_confusion aux)
+end find_discr
+
+definition decidable_eq_fun [instance] {A B : Type} [h₁ : fintype A] [h₂ : decidable_eq B] : decidable_eq (A → B) :=
+λ f g,
+  match h₁ with
+  | fintype.mk e u c :=
+    match find_discr f g e with
+    | some a := λ h : find_discr f g e = some a, inr (λ f_eq_g : f = g, absurd (by rewrite f_eq_g) (ne_of_find_discr_eq_some h))
+    | none   := λ h : find_discr f g e = none, inl (show f = g, from funext (λ a : A, all_eq_of_find_discr_eq_none h a (c a)))
+    end rfl
+  end