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IMO Lambda calculus should be taught wider in CS programs. It brings useful models, builds (if one likes theory) good background to functional programming parad

by ptero 8y ago

IMO Lambda calculus should be taught wider in CS programs. It brings useful models, builds (if one likes theory) good background to functional programming paradigms, etc. However, to me, this post was hard to read. Wikipedia https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lambda_calculus https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lambda_calculus provides a much better introduction: from informal motivation to formal descriptions. My 2c.

fhood 8y ago
I learned it in school, so I don't think it is that uncommon. Barely remember it though. Doesn't come up a ton.
PopeDotNinja 8y ago
I want to budget cognitive learning cycles to learning lambda calculus, but I've tried superficially a couple of times and couldn't find a practical reason to do so. Prioritizing picking up a more nuts & bolts skill has always seemed more engaging and lucrative. If I already know some Lisp-ish stuff from languages I already know, is there some benefit to picking up Lambda Calculus that isn't super obvious?
- ptero 8y ago
  Just my 2c -- maybe not, this is just a way of thinking about problems that might come handy in some usually unexpected way. Also, it could be cool to mumble to your geek friends on use cases of alpha conversion and beta reduction. Seriously though, I do not know Lisp, but if you know OCaml you probably have a good feel for lambda calculus just from practical application of the language. My 2c.
  - PopeDotNinja 8y ago
    Learning OCaml is something I've wanted to do. I'll add this to the list of reasons to learn it :) Thanks!
lomnakkus 8y ago
> IMO Lambda calculus should be taught wider in CS programs. It brings useful models, builds (if one likes theory) good background to functional programming paradigms, etc. I'm surprised than anyone thinks this. Unless you're in a very specialized area, it's about as useful as getting practice with writing algorithms using Turing Machines. (Yes, it offers a very different perspective to the usual Von Neumann machine, but learning graph reduction as evalation is just as valuable, if not more.)

by ptero 8y ago

fhood 8y ago

I learned it in school, so I don't think it is that uncommon. Barely remember it though. Doesn't come up a ton.

PopeDotNinja 8y ago

I want to budget cognitive learning cycles to learning lambda calculus, but I've tried superficially a couple of times and couldn't find a practical reason to do so. Prioritizing picking up a more nuts & bolts skill has always seemed more engaging and lucrative. If I already know some Lisp-ish stuff from languages I already know, is there some benefit to picking up Lambda Calculus that isn't super obvious?

ptero 8y ago
Just my 2c -- maybe not, this is just a way of thinking about problems that might come handy in some usually unexpected way. Also, it could be cool to mumble to your geek friends on use cases of alpha conversion and beta reduction. Seriously though, I do not know Lisp, but if you know OCaml you probably have a good feel for lambda calculus just from practical application of the language. My 2c.
- PopeDotNinja 8y ago
  Learning OCaml is something I've wanted to do. I'll add this to the list of reasons to learn it :) Thanks!

lomnakkus 8y ago

> IMO Lambda calculus should be taught wider in CS programs. It brings useful models, builds (if one likes theory) good background to functional programming paradigms, etc. I'm surprised than anyone thinks this. Unless you're in a very specialized area, it's about as useful as getting practice with writing algorithms using Turing Machines. (Yes, it offers a very different perspective to the usual Von Neumann machine, but learning graph reduction as evalation is just as valuable, if not more.)