HN Books @HNBooksMonth

I have good experience with this book: An Introduction to Functional Programming Through Lambda Calculus https://www.amazon.com/Introduction-Functional-Programming-C...

It starts with the general rules of lambda calculus, then build up some basic functions (like in the PDF linked in this thread) and continues to build data types like Natural Numbers, List, String, Tree and operators for manipulating them. The book also explains about the evaluation methods as well as covering how ML and LISP uses lambda calculus.

Best resource I've found is a book called "Introduction to Functional Programming through Lambda Calculus": https://www.amazon.com/Introduction-Functional-Programming-C...

This is an excellent book from the pen and paper era, that is more than modern (functional programming is popular now): https://www.amazon.com/Introduction-Functional-Programming-C...

From my favorite author Anthony J. Dos Reis[0]

If you want to learn assembly language, computer architecture and C++ all at the same time: Assembly Language and Computer Architecture Using C++ and Java , Course Technology, 2004 [1]

If you want to learn how to write compilers, context free grammars, regular expressions and implement grep: Compiler Construction Using Java, JavaCC, and Yacc, IEEE/Wiley, 2012 [2]

If you want to learn functional programming, lambda calculus and LISP: An Introduction to Functional Programming Through Lambda Calculus by Greg Michaelson [3]

My programming skills had grown dramatically with this books. I would wholeheartedly recommend the books mentioned above for those who are interested to learn.

[0] - http://cs.newpaltz.edu/~dosreist/

[1] - https://www.amazon.com/Assembly-Language-Computer-Architectu...

[2] - https://www.amazon.com/Compiler-Construction-Using-Java-Java...

[3] - https://www.cs.rochester.edu/~brown/173/readings/LCBook.pdf - https://www.amazon.com/Introduction-Functional-Programming-C...

I would recommend [0] An Introduction to Functional Programming Through Lambda Calculus. This does not require any mathematical background, starting from simple substitution through list processing. This is a good opportunity to introduce lambda calculus since the child is interested. I mean it, lambda calculus would be a good start.

[0] - http://www.amazon.com/Introduction-Functional-Programming-Ca...

Any book on Lambda calculus http://www.amazon.com/Introduction-Functional-Programming-Ca...

https://www.edx.org/course/introduction-functional-programmi...! is a MOOC in Haskell

There’s an actual Dover Publications programming book that I really enjoy: "An Introduction to Functional Programming Through Lambda Calculus" [1]. So far it’s been enlightening, and even though it’s a 1989 reprint it doesn’t feel all that aged except for some of the semantics used (e.g. ALL_CAPS variable/function names).

The bibliography at the end is also a nice history lesson and very useful if you want to dig deeper into specific topics/paradigms the book touches on.

[1]: http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0486478831

⬐ jcurbo

Yes, I have this book too and found it extremely useful and enlightening as well. I wrote a paper on functional programming concepts a few months ago and wrote a bit up front about the lambda calculus, and this book was how I brought myself up to speed. (Sadly, my undergrad CS did not even mention the lambda calculus, as far as I can remember)

⬐ breckinloggins

I'm working through this book right now and I'd like to give it a +1 as well. I worked through the untyped lambda calculus via Wikipedia a little while back but it was a struggle.

On the other hand this book's crystal clear exposition and exercises are like a breath of fresh air! Reading this first would have saved me a lot of time.