Lambda Functions (fwd)

Mon Aug 9 17:06:17 EDT 1999

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Subject: [HM] lambda functions
From: Ivan Van Laningham <ivanlan at callware.com>
Date: Mon, 09 Aug 1999 13:47:15 -0600
To: historia-matematica at chasque.apc.org

Hi All--
I'm working on a book about the Python programming language.  Python
allows the use of lambda functions, small anonymous functions that can
speed up processing because they are effectively inlined, and often
require less typing than conventional function definitions.

Why lambda?  I realize that the term has come from functional
programming languages, and Python's inventor explicitly took lambda
from Scheme, but I'm interested in the history of the term.  Why that
particular letter?  I assume it has something to do with the lambda
calculus, but my ignorance runs deep in that area too.

Thank you for your help,
Ivan

Ivan Van Laningham
Callware Technologies, Inc.
ivanlan at callware.com
ivanlan at home.com
http://www.pauahtun.org
See also: 
http://www.foretec.com/python/workshops/1998-11/proceedings.html
Army Signal Corps:  Cu Chi, Class of '70

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