--- category: Algorithms & Data Structures name: Lambda Calculus contributors: - ["Max Sun", "http://github.com/maxsun"] --- # Lambda Calculus Lambda calculus (λ-calculus), originally created by [Alonzo Church](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alonzo_Church), is the world's smallest programming language. Despite not having numbers, strings, booleans, or any non-function datatype, lambda calculus can be used to represent any Turing Machine! Lambda calculus is composed of 3 elements: **variables**, **functions**, and **applications**. | Name | Syntax | Example | Explanation | |-------------|------------------------------------|-----------|-----------------------------------------------| | Variable | `` | `x` | a variable named "x" | | Function | `λ.` | `λx.x` | a function with parameter "x" and body "x" | | Application | `` | `(λx.x)a` | calling the function "λx.x" with argument "a" | The most basic function is the identity function: `λx.x` which is equivalent to `f(x) = x`. The first "x" is the function's argument, and the second is the body of the function. ## Free vs. Bound Variables: - In the function `λx.x`, "x" is called a bound variable because it is both in the body of the function and a parameter. - In `λx.y`, "y" is called a free variable because it is never declared before hand. ## Evaluation: Evaluation is done via [β-Reduction](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lambda_calculus#Beta_reduction), which is essentially lexically-scoped substitution. When evaluating the expression `(λx.x)a`, we replace all occurences of "x" in the function's body with "a". - `(λx.x)a` evaluates to: `a` - `(λx.y)a` evaluates to: `y` You can even create higher-order functions: - `(λx.(λy.x))a` evaluates to: `λy.a` Although lambda calculus traditionally supports only single parameter functions, we can create multi-parameter functions using a technique called [currying](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Currying). - `(λx.λy.λz.xyz)` is equivalent to `f(x, y, z) = x(y(z))` Sometimes `λxy.` is used interchangeably with: `λx.λy.` ---- It's important to recognize that traditional **lambda calculus doesn't have numbers, characters, or any non-function datatype!** ## Boolean Logic: There is no "True" or "False" in lambda calculus. There isn't even a 1 or 0. Instead: `T` is represented by: `λx.λy.x` `F` is represented by: `λx.λy.y` First, we can define an "if" function `λbtf` that returns `t` if `b` is True and `f` if `b` is False `IF` is equivalent to: `λb.λt.λf.b t f` Using `IF`, we can define the basic boolean logic operators: `a AND b` is equivalent to: `λab.IF a b F` `a OR b` is equivalent to: `λab.IF a T b` `a NOT b` is equivalent to: `λa.IF a F T` *Note: `IF a b c` is essentially saying: `IF(a(b(c)))`* ## Numbers: Although there are no numbers in lambda calculus, we can encode numbers using [Church numerals](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Church_encoding). For any number n: n = λf.fⁿ so: `0 = λf.λx.x` `1 = λf.λx.f x` `2 = λf.λx.f(f x)` `3 = λf.λx.f(f(f x))` To increment a Church numeral, we use the successor function `S(n) = n + 1` which is: `S = λn.λf.λx.f((n f) x)` Using successor, we can define add: `ADD = λab.(a S)n` **Challenge:** try defining your own multiplication function! ## For more advanced reading: 1. [A Tutorial Introduction to the Lambda Calculus](http://www.inf.fu-berlin.de/lehre/WS03/alpi/lambda.pdf) 2. [Cornell CS 312 Recitation 26: The Lambda Calculus](http://www.cs.cornell.edu/courses/cs3110/2008fa/recitations/rec26.html) 3. [Wikipedia - Lambda Calculus](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lambda_calculus)