The Lambda Calculus: Practice and Principle

Hugh Leather, Janne Irgens

Research output: Chapter in Book/Report/Conference proceedingChapter

Abstract

The Lambda Calculus has perplexed students of computer science for millennia, rendering many incapable of understanding even the most basic precepts of functional programming. This paper gently introduces the core concepts to the lay reader, assuming only a minimum of background knowledge in category theory, quantum chromodynamics, and paleomagnetism. In addition, this paper goes on to its main results, showing how the Lambda Calculus can be used to easily prove the termination of Leibniz’ Hailstone numbers for all n>0n>0, to show that matrix multiplication is possible in linear time, and to guarantee Scottish independence.
Original languageEnglish
Title of host publicationA List of Successes That Can Change the World
Subtitle of host publicationEssays Dedicated to Philip Wadler on the Occasion of His 60th Birthday
EditorsSam Lindley, Conor McBride, Phil Trinder, Don Sannella
Place of PublicationCham
PublisherSpringer
Pages201-206
Number of pages6
ISBN (Electronic)978-3-319-30936-1
ISBN (Print)978-3-319-30935-4
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - 2016

Publication series

NameLecture Notes in Computer Science
PublisherSpringer International Publishing
Volume9600
ISSN (Print)0302-9743

Fingerprint

Dive into the research topics of 'The Lambda Calculus: Practice and Principle'. Together they form a unique fingerprint.

Cite this