X-Git-Url: http://lambda.jimpryor.net/git/gitweb.cgi?p=lambda.git;a=blobdiff_plain;f=week1.mdwn;h=8124ffe62832fd961146810859fb0b12e49dcd93;hp=6fadd1fa5d542cd0f20dbcbae37d00f99d3a9d29;hb=dc4a37d3f21dae7e6aceb29c6291fc2e7daa2f5e;hpb=8a13569351741eaad4b9990b7e21b7f92ae37ff9 diff --git a/week1.mdwn b/week1.mdwn index 6fadd1fa..8124ffe6 100644 --- a/week1.mdwn +++ b/week1.mdwn @@ -114,19 +114,19 @@ The lambda calculus we'll be focusing on for the first part of the course has no Here is its syntax:
-**Variables**: `x`, `y`, `z`, ... +Variables:Each variable is an expression. For any expressions M and N and variable a, the following are also expressions:x
,y
,z
...
-**Abstract**:-We'll tend to write(λa M)
+Abstract:(λa M)
(λa M)
as just `( \a M )`.
+We'll tend to write (λa M)
as just `(\a M)`, so we don't have to write out the markup code for the λ
. You can yourself write (λa M)
or `(\a M)` or `(lambda a M)`.
-**Application**: `(M N)`
+Application: (M N)
Some authors reserve the term "term" for just variables and abstracts. We won't participate in that convention; we'll probably just say "term" and "expression" indiscriminately for expressions of any of these three forms.
@@ -142,7 +142,7 @@ Examples of expressions:
(x (\x x))
((\x (x x)) (\x (x x)))
-The lambda calculus has an associated proof theory. For now, we can regard the proof theory as having just one rule, called the rule of "beta-reduction" or "beta-contraction". Suppose you have some expression of the form:
+The lambda calculus has an associated proof theory. For now, we can regard the proof theory as having just one rule, called the rule of **beta-reduction** or "beta-contraction". Suppose you have some expression of the form:
((\a M) N)
@@ -150,7 +150,7 @@ that is, an application of an abstract to some other expression. This compound f
The rule of beta-reduction permits a transition from that expression to the following:
- M {a:=N}
+ M [a:=N]
What this means is just `M`, with any *free occurrences* inside `M` of the variable `a` replaced with the term `N`.