3 ms·
I do recommend learning the Y Combinator; it's the answer to the problem "How do I have a recursive anonymous function?"
by duaneb 11y ago
I do recommend learning the Y Combinator; it's the answer to the problem "How do I have a recursive anonymous function?"
- agumonkey 11y agoBeside the theoretical side of Y, what made it interesting to me was the few tutorials on how one could derive it to stop an infinite expansion, which is a feeling I often get when trying to solve a problem, creates another similar problem only slightly different. Now I stop and try to find how to make bind the tail to the dog's mouth.
- sltkr 11y agoTo be clear: the Y combinator is just one way to define a fixed-point combinator in the untyped lambda calculus. You can define fixed-point combinators differently and achieve the same effect. I do agree that the realization that it's possible to build recursive functions in the lambda calculus is mind-blowing (and far from obvious!)
- nickpsecurity 11y agoThe brief description I saw and sltkr's comment look like gibberish to me. Not enough math or FP background I guess. I think learning it is probably going to be part of a larger, mind-altering effort for me when I eventually dig deep into FP to understand it. Lambda calculus, too, while I'm at it.