Unreal Tournament>>To Use Python?!

[Neel Krishnaswami]

skaller <skaller at maxtal.com.au> wrote:
>
>The theory is called 'category theory', and it is the central
>theory of modern mathematics (obsoleting set theory).
>There are programming languages based on it, or at least
>influenced by it, and almost all modern language design
>is discussed using its terminology. The module system
>of Standard ML has been based on it for a number of years,
>and computing engines using categorical combinators and
>other technhiques are beginning to dominate new language
>designs, especially in the functional area.

IIUC[*], category theory is seeing some heavy use in the formal
semantics of OO languages, as well, because OO type theory slams
headfirst into one of the many variations of Russel's paradox if
you try to use a set-theoretic-inspired notion of subtype. 

Personally, I think the *MLs haven't taken off because they are all
astonishingly ugly to look at. The semantics are beautiful; but the
code is just really disgusting to look at, imo. ML makes Lisp look
transparent and readable -- and Lisp is a language whose syntax was
designed for the convenience of the macro system rather than human
factors.


Neel

[*] If I Understand Correctly -- which I may very well not! I am
definitely not an expert (or anything more than an interested
amateur) in either category or type theory.