From 260cb10c9b6fab43f660ccaaf709418cd66fdc50 Mon Sep 17 00:00:00 2001 From: Chris Barker Date: Thu, 9 Jun 2011 17:22:50 -0400 Subject: [PATCH 1/1] changes --- cps.mdwn | 21 +++++++++++---------- 1 file changed, 11 insertions(+), 10 deletions(-) diff --git a/cps.mdwn b/cps.mdwn index 73edf0d0..259f412e 100644 --- a/cps.mdwn +++ b/cps.mdwn @@ -9,8 +9,7 @@ A lucid discussion of evaluation order in the context of the lambda calculus can be found here: [Sestoft: Demonstrating Lambda Calculus Reduction](http://www.itu.dk/~sestoft/papers/mfps2001-sestoft.pdf). Sestoft also provides a lovely on-line lambda evaluator: -[Sestoft: Lambda calculus reduction workbench] -(http://www.itu.dk/~sestoft/lamreduce/index.html), +[Sestoft: Lambda calculus reduction workbench](http://www.itu.dk/~sestoft/lamreduce/index.html), which allows you to select multiple evaluation strategies, and to see reductions happen step by step. @@ -63,7 +62,7 @@ And we never get the recursion off the ground. Using a Continuation Passing Style transform to control order of evaluation --------------------------------------------------------------------------- -We'll exhibit and explore the technique of transforming a lambda term +We'll present a technique for controlling evaluation order by transforming a lambda term using a Continuation Passing Style transform (CPS), then we'll explore what the CPS is doing, and how. @@ -71,12 +70,14 @@ In order for the CPS to work, we have to adopt a new restriction on beta reduction: beta reduction does not occur underneath a lambda. That is, `(\x.y)z` reduces to `z`, but `\w.(\x.y)z` does not, because the `\w` protects the redex in the body from reduction. +(A redex is a subform ...(\xM)N..., i.e., something that can be the +target of beta reduction.) Start with a simple form that has two different reduction paths: -reducing the leftmost lambda first: `(\x.y)((\x.z)w) ~~> y' +reducing the leftmost lambda first: `(\x.y)((\x.z)w) ~~> y` -reducing the rightmost lambda first: `(\x.y)((\x.z)w) ~~> (x.y)z ~~> y' +reducing the rightmost lambda first: `(\x.y)((\x.z)w) ~~> (x.y)z ~~> y` After using the following call-by-name CPS transform---and assuming that we never evaluate redexes protected by a lambda---only the first @@ -140,7 +141,7 @@ This time the reduction unfolds in a different manner: Both xforms make the following guarantee: as long as redexes underneath a lambda are never evaluated, there will be at most one -reduction avaialble at any step in the evaluation. +reduction available at any step in the evaluation. That is, all choice is removed from the evaluation process. Questions and excercises: @@ -149,14 +150,14 @@ Questions and excercises: involving kappas? 2. Write an Ocaml function that takes a lambda term and returns a -CPS-xformed lambda term. +CPS-xformed lambda term. You can use the following data declaration: type form = Var of char | Abs of char * form | App of form * form;; 3. What happens (in terms of evaluation order) when the application rule for CBN CPS is changed to `[MN] = \k.[N](\n.[M]nk)`? Likewise, What happens when the application rule for CBV CPS is changed to ` -= \k.[N](\n.[M](\m.mnk))'? += \k.[N](\n.[M](\m.mnk))`? 4. What happens when the application rules for the CPS xforms are changed to @@ -177,8 +178,8 @@ The transformed terms all have the form `\k.blah`. The rule for the CBN xform of a variable appears to be an exception, but instead of writing `[x] => x`, we can write `[x] => \k.xk`, which is eta-equivalent. The `k`'s are continuations: functions from something -to a result. Let's use $sigma; as the result type. The each `k` in -the transform will be a function of type `ρ --> σ` for some +to a result. Let's use σ as the result type. The each `k` in +the transform will be a function of type ρ --> σ for some choice of ρ. We'll need an ancilliary function ': for any ground type a, a' = a; -- 2.11.0