ivo/README.md

Lambda Calculus

This is a simple implementation of the untyped lambda calculus with an emphasis on clear, readable Haskell code.

Usage

Run the program using stack run (or run the tests with stack test).

Type in your expression at the prompt: >> . The expression will be evaluated to normal form using the call-by-value evaluation strategy and then printed. Exit the prompt with Ctrl-c (or equivalent).

Example session

>> let D = \x. x x; F = \f. f (f y) in D (F \x. x)
y y
>> let T = \f x. f (f x) in (\f x. T (T (T (T T))) f x) (\x. x) y
y
>> (\x y z. x y) y
λy' z. y y'
>> let fix = (\x. x x) \fix f x. f (fix fix f) x; S = \n f x. f (n f x); plus = fix \plus x. x S in plus (\f x. f (f (f x))) (\f x. f (f x)) f x
f (f (f (f (f x))))
>> y (callcc \k. (\x. (\x. x x) (\x. x x)) (k z))
y z
>> ^C

Notation

Conventional Lambda Calculus notation applies, with the exception that variable names are multiple characters long, \ is permitted in lieu of λ to make it easier to type, and spaces are used to separate variables rather than commas.

• Variable names are alphanumeric, beginning with a letter.
• Outermost parentheses may be dropped: M N is equivalent to (M N).
• Applications are left-associative: M N P may be written instead of ((M N) P).
• The body of an abstraction or let expression extends as far right as possible: \x. M N means \x.(M N) and not (\x. M) N.
• A sequence of abstractions may be contracted: \foo. \bar. \baz. N may be abbreviated as \foo bar baz. N.
• Variables may be bound using let expressions: let x = N in M is syntactic sugar for (\x. N) M.
• Multiple variables may be defined in one let expression: let x = N; y = O in M

Call/CC

This interpreter has preliminary support for the call-with-current-continuation control flow operator. However, it has not been thoroughly tested.

To use it, simply apply the variable callcc like you would a function, e.g. (callcc (\k. ...)). callcc is not a normal variable and cannot be shadowed; \callcc. callcc is not the identity function, it ignores its argument and then returns the operator callcc.

Continuations are printed as λ!. ... ! ..., like a lambda abstraction with an argument named ! which is used exactly once; however, continuations are not the same as lambda abstractions because they perform the side effect of modifying the current continuation, and this is not valid syntax you can input into the REPL.