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Category theory has virtually zero application to software engineering. Abstract algebra (knowing what a group, monoid, etc. are) has a bit more practical appli

Category theory has virtually zero application to software engineering. Abstract algebra (knowing what a group, monoid, etc. are) has a bit more practical application. Knowing what a monad is (in the programming sense) has some as well. Neither of the latter two require learning category theory.

francogt 4y ago
> Category theory has virtually zero application to software engineering. > Knowing what a monad is (in the programming sense) has some [practical application]as well. You’re contradicting yourself. You don’t need to know category theory to use practical abstractions like functors and monads. They are still however category theoretical concepts. If these category theoretical concepts have “some practical application” as you say, then category theory does have application to software engineering.
- School-Cotton 4y ago
  It had application in the sense that it provided inspiration for these concepts, yes. However learning anything else from category theory is irrelevant to understanding and using them.
proc0 4y ago
CT describes type theory really well, which is used in a lot of programming languages. Monoids and Monads come from CT, and their implementation doesn't really explain what the concept really is (it kind of does, but not really). The programmer might not need to learn CT, but it helps to have broader understanding of how the underlying rules of the language are working.
- School-Cotton 4y ago
  Monoids do not come from category theory, they come from abstract algebra. How does category theory “describe type theory” ?
  - trenchgun 4y ago
    It can give semantics for it, such as how cartesian closed category gives semantics to simply typed lambda calculus https://golem.ph.utexas.edu/category/2006/08/cartesian_closed_categories_an_1.html https://golem.ph.utexas.edu/category/2006/08/cartesian_close...
- deterministic 4y ago
  Nope. Type Theory (like Matin Luff TT) describes Type Theory really well. And it is way more useful for software development than CT is. Tools like Coq, LEAN, Agda, Idris etc. are built on TT not CT.

francogt 4y ago

> Category theory has virtually zero application to software engineering. > Knowing what a monad is (in the programming sense) has some [practical application]as well. You’re contradicting yourself. You don’t need to know category theory to use practical abstractions like functors and monads. They are still however category theoretical concepts. If these category theoretical concepts have “some practical application” as you say, then category theory does have application to software engineering.

School-Cotton 4y ago
It had application in the sense that it provided inspiration for these concepts, yes. However learning anything else from category theory is irrelevant to understanding and using them.

proc0 4y ago

CT describes type theory really well, which is used in a lot of programming languages. Monoids and Monads come from CT, and their implementation doesn't really explain what the concept really is (it kind of does, but not really). The programmer might not need to learn CT, but it helps to have broader understanding of how the underlying rules of the language are working.

School-Cotton 4y ago
Monoids do not come from category theory, they come from abstract algebra. How does category theory “describe type theory” ?
- trenchgun 4y ago
  It can give semantics for it, such as how cartesian closed category gives semantics to simply typed lambda calculus https://golem.ph.utexas.edu/category/2006/08/cartesian_closed_categories_an_1.html https://golem.ph.utexas.edu/category/2006/08/cartesian_close...
deterministic 4y ago
Nope. Type Theory (like Matin Luff TT) describes Type Theory really well. And it is way more useful for software development than CT is. Tools like Coq, LEAN, Agda, Idris etc. are built on TT not CT.