Infinite Lambda Calculus

The lambda calculus is wonderfully concrete and reductionist in nature. Abstractions are anonymous and volatile, they disappear as soon as you apply them. As a consequence, there is no such thing as self-reference in lambda calculus. This is a challenge that we should make a point of fixing. Why? Since recursion is such a useful and powerful tool in programming! In this talk, we will see how we can use self-reproduction as a substitute for self-reference, enabling us to generate as much recursion as we need - and hopefully no more.

Talk objectives:

• Derive general recursion for lambda calculus.

Target audience:

• Curious computionists, the kind that are more likely to read a book like The Little Schemer than Enterprise Sadness Made Sadder in 21 Days.