3 ms·

Nothing, it just has the name for historic reasons.

• dboreham 4y ago
  I've been scratching my head over this all day since reading the beginning of the thread earlier. This is the one correct answer.
  • naasking 4y ago
    This is not correct actually. It comes from linear logic, and it's connection to ordinary linear functions we all learned in school is clear if you think about it: any linear function f(x) can be written in a form where x appears only once on the right hand side, ie. f(x) = Bx + C. That's exactly the property linear typing enforces: a new binding only appears once on the right hand side, ie. let x = v in e, where e references x only once.
    • deleted 4y ago
      [deleted]