theories of Functional Programming

• The Lambda Calculus (Alanzo Church)

• Combinatory Logic (Moses Schönfinkel and Haskell Curry)

1930's                                                   1950's

theoretical

Lisp Haskel ML

functional Languages that came out of

Lambda calculus and

Combinatory Logic

1950's                                                   1970's

expressed as [Variables, Functions,

Combinators, and Applications]

Forth

1970 Chuck Moore

• RPN (post-fix notation, mostly)
• stack-based

practical work

Forth, the programming language.

UPS and Fedex: digital signature tablets 
Power companies: electrical switches
GE SONET switch: Forth is the OS and REPL 
NASA satellites run on Forth. 
The space shuttle’s robotic arm and flight navigation computers were programmed in Forth.

coded in Forth:

Factor

• RPN (post-fix notation)
• stack-based
• functional
• dynamic types, with an object system

2003 Slava Pestov

theoretical

practical work

Factor

• Stack-based language
• Dynamic typing
• Extensible syntax
• Powerful Collections library
• Higher-order functions
• Lisp-style Macros
• Object system with Inheritance, Generic functions, Predicate dispatch and Mixins
• Homoiconic syntax
• Error handling with Restarts
• Continuations

2003 Slava Pestov

Cat

• RPN (post-fix notation)
• stack-based
• functional
• strongly typed

2006 Christopher Diggins

theoretical

practical work

Off shoots

• RawrCat (github.com/ephsec/RawrCat)