Programming Language Theory: Difference between revisions

The Church-Turing Thesis equates a vaguely-defined set of "computable" functions with the [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Computable_function partial recursive functions]. Several systems have been proven equivalent to the partial recursives in power, such as Turing machines and the λ-calculus (practical programming languages generally provide further syntaxes and semantics, but a Real Programmer is perfectly happy with combinatory logic and a beer). Peter J. Landin's 1965 ACM report, "A correspondence between ALGOL 60 and Church's Lambda-notation", jump-started most of this.<blockquote>''There may, indeed, be other applications of the system than its use as a logic.'' -- Alonzo Church, 1932</blockquote>