Lambda: The Ultimate Imperative (1976) [pdf]

#1

Post by kbp » Tue, Apr 30, 2019, 6:04 AM UTC

Lambda: The Ultimate Imperative (1976) [pdf]
dspace.mit.edu

Re: Lambda: The Ultimate Imperative (1976) [pdf]

#2

Post by tombert » Tue, Apr 30, 2019, 8:34 PM UTC

I love reading these older papers, because since there wasn't a whole lot of prior implicit understanding of computer-science, they're a lot easier to read for a wannabe-intellectual like myself (someone who loves the academic world but who isn't smart enough to actually be an academic).

Guy Steele's papers in particular are almost always an entertaining read. My favorite by him is basically a glorified rant about how the programmer shouldn't have to manually handle tail-recursion (I'd link to it but I cannot seem to find it...If someone here knows where it is I'd appreciate it).

Re: Lambda: The Ultimate Imperative (1976) [pdf]

#3

Post by efdb » Tue, Apr 30, 2019, 8:52 PM UTC

tombert wrote: post #2

I love reading these older papers, because since there wasn't a whole lot of prior implicit understanding of computer-science, they're a lot easier to read for a wannabe-intellectual like myself (someone who loves the academic world but who isn't smart enough to actually be an academic). Guy Steele's papers in particular are almost always an entertaining read. My favorite by him is basically a glorified rant about ho…

LAMBDA: The Ultimate GOTO http://dspace.mit.edu/bitstream/handle/1721.1/5753/AIM-443.p...

Re: Lambda: The Ultimate Imperative (1976) [pdf]

#4

Post by tombert » Tue, Apr 30, 2019, 9:05 PM UTC

efdb wrote: post #3

tombert wrote: post #2

I love reading these older papers, because since there wasn't a whole lot of prior implicit understanding of computer-science, they're a lot easier to read for a wannabe-intellectual like myself (someone who loves the academic world but who isn't smart enough to actually be an academic). Guy Steele's papers in particular are almost always an entertaining read. My favorite by him is basically a glorified rant about ho…

LAMBDA: The Ultimate GOTO http://dspace.mit.edu/bitstream/handle/1721.1/5753/AIM-443.p...

Thank you!

Re: Lambda: The Ultimate Imperative (1976) [pdf]

#5

Post by neilv » Wed, May 01, 2019, 1:23 AM UTC

efdb wrote: post #3

tombert wrote: post #2

I love reading these older papers, because since there wasn't a whole lot of prior implicit understanding of computer-science, they're a lot easier to read for a wannabe-intellectual like myself (someone who loves the academic world but who isn't smart enough to actually be an academic). Guy Steele's papers in particular are almost always an entertaining read. My favorite by him is basically a glorified rant about ho…

LAMBDA: The Ultimate GOTO http://dspace.mit.edu/bitstream/handle/1721.1/5753/AIM-443.p...

https://people.csail.mit.edu/jaffer/r5rs/Proper-tail-recursi...

Re: Lambda: The Ultimate Imperative (1976) [pdf]

#6

Post by BoiledCabbage » Wed, May 01, 2019, 4:14 AM UTC

tombert wrote: post #4

efdb wrote: post #3

Earlier quoted context omitted.

LAMBDA: The Ultimate GOTO http://dspace.mit.edu/bitstream/handle/1721.1/5753/AIM-443.p...

Thank you!

https://en.wikisource.org/wiki/Lambda_Papers

Re: Lambda: The Ultimate Imperative (1976) [pdf]

#7

Post by TimSchumann » Wed, May 01, 2019, 8:11 AM UTC

Didn’t realize the blog was named after a thing. I guess I feel young now.

Re: Lambda: The Ultimate Imperative (1976) [pdf]

#8

Post by kristianp » Wed, May 01, 2019, 10:06 AM UTC

Escape Expressions and Fluid Variables? Call by need? Looks like I'll have to read it.

Re: Lambda: The Ultimate Imperative (1976) [pdf]

#9

Post by unhammer » Thu, May 02, 2019, 7:41 AM UTC

> A third possibility would be to pass the SQRT function as an argument to QUAD (don't laugh!)

:)

I was excited to see the heading "3.3.1 Free (Global) Variables", considering the amount of work people do to avoid those (interpeters and runEnv and so on), but it seems they end up using top-level bindings and assignments …