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β-reduction
In mathematical logic, the lambda calculus (also written as ''λ''-calculus) is a formal system for expressing computation based on function abstraction and application using variable binding and substitution. Untyped lambda calculus, the topic of this article, is a universal machine, a model of computation that can be used to simulate any Turing machine (and vice versa). It was introduced by the mathematician Alonzo Church in the 1930s as part of his research into the foundations of mathematics. In 1936, Church found a formulation which was logically consistent, and documented it in 1940. Lambda calculus consists of constructing lambda terms and performing reduction operations on them. A term is defined as any valid lambda calculus expression. In the simplest form of lambda calculus, terms are built using only the following rules: # x: A variable is a character or string representing a parameter. # (\lambda x.M): A lambda abstraction is a function definition, taking as ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Church–Rosser Theorem
In lambda calculus, the Church–Rosser theorem states that, when applying reduction rules to terms, the ordering in which the reductions are chosen does not make a difference to the eventual result. More precisely, if there are two distinct reductions or sequences of reductions that can be applied to the same term, then there exists a term that is reachable from both results, by applying (possibly empty) sequences of additional reductions. The theorem was proved in 1936 by Alonzo Church and J. Barkley Rosser, after whom it is named. The theorem is symbolized by the adjacent diagram: If term ''a'' can be reduced to both ''b'' and ''c'', then there must be a further term ''d'' (possibly equal to either ''b'' or ''c'') to which both ''b'' and ''c'' can be reduced. Viewing the lambda calculus as an abstract rewriting system, the Church–Rosser theorem states that the reduction rules of the lambda calculus are confluent. As a consequence of the theorem, a term in the lambda cal ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Reduction Strategy (lambda Calculus)
In rewriting, a reduction strategy or rewriting strategy is a relation specifying a rewrite for each object or term, compatible with a given reduction relation. Some authors use the term to refer to an evaluation strategy. Definitions Formally, for an abstract rewriting system (A, \to), a reduction strategy \to_S is a binary relation on A with \to_S \subseteq \overset , where \overset is the transitive closure of \to (but not the reflexive closure). In addition the normal forms of the strategy must be the same as the normal forms of the original rewriting system, i.e. for all a, there exists a b with a\to b iff \exists b'. a\to_S b'. A ''one step'' reduction strategy is one where \to_S \subseteq \to. Otherwise it is a ''many step'' strategy. A ''deterministic'' strategy is one where \to_S is a partial function, i.e. for each a\in A there is at most one b such that a \to_S b. Otherwise it is a ''nondeterministic'' strategy. Term rewriting In a term rewriting system a rew ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
De Bruijn Index
In mathematical logic, the de Bruijn index is a tool invented by the Dutch mathematician Nicolaas Govert de Bruijn for representing terms of lambda calculus without naming the bound variables. Terms written using these indices are invariant with respect to α-conversion, so the check for α-equivalence is the same as that for syntactic equality. Each de Bruijn index is a natural number that represents an occurrence of a variable in a λ-term, and denotes the number of binders that are in scope between that occurrence and its corresponding binder. The following are some examples: * The term λ''x''. λ''y''. ''x'', sometimes called the K combinator, is written as λ λ 2 with de Bruijn indices. The binder for the occurrence ''x'' is the second λ in scope. * The term λ''x''. λ''y''. λ''z''. ''x'' ''z'' (''y'' ''z'') (the S combinator), with de Bruijn indices, is λ λ λ 3 1 (2 1). * The term λ''z''. (λ''y''. ''y'' (λ''x''. ''x'')) (λ''x''. ''z'' ''x'') is λ (λ 1 (λ ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Function Application
In mathematics, function application is the act of applying a function to an argument from its domain so as to obtain the corresponding value from its range. In this sense, function application can be thought of as the opposite of function abstraction. Representation Function application is usually depicted by juxtaposing the variable representing the function with its argument encompassed in parentheses. For example, the following expression represents the application of the function ''Æ’'' to its argument ''x''. :f(x) In some instances, a different notation is used where the parentheses aren't required, and function application can be expressed just by juxtaposition. For example, the following expression can be considered the same as the previous one: :f\; x The latter notation is especially useful in combination with the currying isomorphism. Given a function f : (X \times Y) \to Z, its application is represented as f(x, y) by the former notation and f\;(x,y) (or f \ ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Beta Normal Form
In lambda calculus, a term is in beta normal form if no '' beta reduction'' is possible. A term is in beta-eta normal form if neither a beta reduction nor an '' eta reduction'' is possible. A term is in head normal form if there is no ''beta-redex in the head position''. The normal form of a term, if one exists, is unique (as a corollary of the Church–Rosser theorem). However, a term may have more than one head normal form. Beta reduction In the lambda calculus, a beta redex is a term of the form: : (\mathbf x . A) M. A redex r is in head position in a term t, if t has the following shape (note that application has higher priority than abstraction, and that the formula below is meant to be a lambda-abstraction, not an application): : \lambda x_1 \ldots \lambda x_n . \underbrace_ M_2 \ldots M_m , where n \geq 0 and m \geq 1. A beta reduction is an application of the following rewrite rule to a beta redex contained in a term: : (\mathbf x . A) M \longrightarrow A := M where A ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Mathematical Logic
Mathematical logic is the study of Logic#Formal logic, formal logic within mathematics. Major subareas include model theory, proof theory, set theory, and recursion theory (also known as computability theory). Research in mathematical logic commonly addresses the mathematical properties of formal systems of logic such as their expressive or deductive power. However, it can also include uses of logic to characterize correct mathematical reasoning or to establish foundations of mathematics. Since its inception, mathematical logic has both contributed to and been motivated by the study of foundations of mathematics. This study began in the late 19th century with the development of axiomatic frameworks for geometry, arithmetic, and Mathematical analysis, analysis. In the early 20th century it was shaped by David Hilbert's Hilbert's program, program to prove the consistency of foundational theories. Results of Kurt Gödel, Gerhard Gentzen, and others provided partial resolution to th ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Simply Typed Lambda Calculus
The simply typed lambda calculus (), a form of type theory, is a typed interpretation of the lambda calculus with only one type constructor () that builds function types. It is the canonical and simplest example of a typed lambda calculus. The simply typed lambda calculus was originally introduced by Alonzo Church in 1940 as an attempt to avoid paradoxical use of the untyped lambda calculus. The term ''simple type'' is also used to refer to extensions of the simply typed lambda calculus with constructs such as products, coproducts or natural numbers ( System T) or even full recursion (like PCF). In contrast, systems that introduce polymorphic types (like System F) or dependent types (like the Logical Framework) are not considered ''simply typed''. The simple types, except for full recursion, are still considered ''simple'' because the Church encodings of such structures can be done using only \to and suitable type variables, while polymorphism and dependency cannot. ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Function (mathematics)
In mathematics, a function from a set (mathematics), set to a set assigns to each element of exactly one element of .; the words ''map'', ''mapping'', ''transformation'', ''correspondence'', and ''operator'' are sometimes used synonymously. The set is called the Domain of a function, domain of the function and the set is called the codomain of the function. Functions were originally the idealization of how a varying quantity depends on another quantity. For example, the position of a planet is a ''function'' of time. History of the function concept, Historically, the concept was elaborated with the infinitesimal calculus at the end of the 17th century, and, until the 19th century, the functions that were considered were differentiable function, differentiable (that is, they had a high degree of regularity). The concept of a function was formalized at the end of the 19th century in terms of set theory, and this greatly increased the possible applications of the concept. A f ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
