function balanced($string) {
  return isBalanced($string, "");
}

function isBalanced($chars, $stack) {
  if (!strlen($chars))
    return empty($stack);

  switch ($chars[0]) {
    case '(':
      // prepend stack with '(', move to next character
      return isBalanced(substr($chars, 1), $chars[0] . $stack);
    case ')':
      // if '(' seen previously, shift stack, move to next character
      return !empty($stack) && isBalanced(substr($chars, 1), substr($stack, 1));
    default:
      // do nothing to stack, move to next character
      return isBalanced(substr($chars, 1), $stack);
  }
}

object Main {
  def balance(chars: List[Char]): Boolean = {
    def balanced(chars: List[Char], stack: String): Boolean = {
      if (chars.isEmpty)
        stack.isEmpty
      else if (chars.head == ')')
        balanced(chars.tail, chars.head + stack)
      else if (chars.head == '(')
        !stack.isEmpty && balanced(chars.tail, stack.tail)
      else
        balanced(chars.tail, stack)
    }

    balanced(chars, "")
  }
}

balance("(if (0) false (x))".toList) - fails
balance("profit and loss (P&L).n(cashflow)".toList) - fails
balance(":)".toList) - passes
balance(")(()".toList) - passes

def balance(chars: List[Char]): Boolean = {
  @tailrec def balanced(chars: List[Char], open: Int): Boolean =
    chars match {
      case      Nil => open == 0
      case '(' :: t => balanced(t, open + 1)
      case ')' :: t => open > 0 && balanced(t, open - 1)
      case   _ :: t => balanced(t, open)
    }

  balanced(chars, 0)
}

def balance(chars: List[Char]): Boolean = chars.foldLeft(0){
  case (0, ')') => return false
  case (x, ')') => x - 1
  case (x, '(') => x + 1
  case (x, _  ) => x
} == 0

def balance(chars: List[Char]): Boolean =
doBalance(chars, 0) == 0;
def doBalance(chars: List[Char], parenthesisOpenCount: Int): Int =
if(parenthesisOpenCount <0) -100;
else
if(chars.isEmpty) parenthesisOpenCount
else
  chars.head match {
  case '(' => return doBalance(chars.tail, parenthesisOpenCount+1)
  case ')' => return doBalance(chars.tail, parenthesisOpenCount-1)
  case _ => return doBalance(chars.tail, parenthesisOpenCount)
}