A lambda-calculus schema is an expression of the lambda calculus augmented by uninterpreted constant and operator symbols. It is an abstraction of programming languages such as LISP which permit functions to be passed to and returned from other functions. When given an interpretation for its constant and operator symbols, certain schemata, called lambda abstractions, naturally define partial functions over the domain of interpretation. Two implementation strategies are considered: the retention strategy in which all variable bindings are retained until no longer needed (implying the use of some sort of garbage-collected store) and the deletion strategy, modeled after the usual stack implementation of ALGOL 60, in which variable bindings are destroyed when control leaves the procedure (or block) in which they were created. Not all lambda abstractions evaluate correctly under the deletion strategy. Nevertheless, both strategies are equally powerful in the sense that any lambda abstraction can be mechanically translated into another that evaluates correctly under the deletion strategy and defines the same partial function over the domain of interpretation as the original. Proof is by translation into continuation-passing style.

A consideration of several different examples sheds new light on the problem of ereat-ing reliable, well-structured programs that behave efficiently. This study focuses largely on two issues: (a) improved syntax for iterations and error exits, making it possible to write a larger class of programs clearly and efficiently without go to state-

Several descriptions of basically one transformation technique, viz. accumulation, are compared. Their basis, viz. the associativity and the existence of a neutral element inherent in a monoid, is identified. Keywords transformational programming, factorial, fast reverse, accumulation, continuations, lambda abstraction, generalisation, tail recursion, implementation of lists. This research has been sponsored by the Netherlands Organisation for Scientific Research (NWO), under grant NF 63/62-518 (the STOP --- Specification and Transformation Of Programs --- project). 1 Introduction One of the first program transformations that appeared in the literature was the accumulation transformation. The transformation is now classic, although not everyone may know it under exactly this name. In this note, I try to relate several descriptions of this program transformation technique. In a purely algebraic view, it is the exploitation of the properties of a monoid. In literature, it can be fou...

. We extend the well-known analysis of recursion-removal in first-order program schemes to a higher-order language of finitely typed and polymorphically typed functional programs, the semantics of which is based on call-by-name parameter-passing. We introduce methods for recursion-removal, i.e. for translating higher-order recursive programs into higher-order iterative programs, and determine conditions under which this translation is possible. Just as finitely typed recursive programs are naturally classified by their orders, so are finitely typed iterative programs. This syntactic classification of recursive and iterative programs corresponds to a semantic (or computational) classification: the higher the order of programs, the more functions they can compute. 1 Background and Motivation Although our analysis is entirely theoretical, as it combines methods from typed -calculi, from abstract recursion theory and from denotational semantics, the problems we consider have a strong pra...

This paper advocates a programming methodology using message passing. Efficient programs are derived for fast exponentiation, merging ordered sequences, and path existence determination in a directed graph. The problems have been proposed by John Reynolds as interesting ones to investigate because they. illustrate significant issues in programming. The methodology advocated here is directed toward the production of programs that are intended to execute efficiently in a computing environment with many processors. The absence of the COTO construct does not seem to be constricting in any respect in the development of efficient programs using the programming methodology advocated here. The programming problems arising from use of the GOTO construct have become well known over the last decade. However, removal of the construct from traditional programming languages has been found by many to be constricting and to result in inefficient programs. A number of proposals have been advanced to allow the construct in a restricted way e.g. Knuth: 1974 and Reynolds: 19771.