3 ms·
> [...] impractical esoteric stuff. [...] People even build and use monads with no understanding of the background behind it. Concepts without names are diffic
by fn-mote 3y ago
> [...] impractical esoteric stuff. [...] People even build and use monads with no understanding of the background behind it.
Concepts without names are difficult to reason about.
I think everyone who knows what they are would agree that the definition of "functor" can be learned in ten minutes. Recognizing the same concept being applied in different situations is the value. (As my sister comment says.)
- mgaunard 3y agoA functor is a mapping between categories, just like a function is a mapping between sets. What kind of insights this means for programming is quite up to interpretation and how you choose to formally describe its semantics (and most popular programming languages don't have formal semantics).
- User23 3y agoThe problem with category theory as it applies to programming is it's using a hydraulic press to crack eggs. Telling people about the power of hydraulic presses when they just want to make omelets is pretty unhelpful.