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From: kjell@saturn.ucsc.edu (Kjell Post)
Newsgroups: comp.lang.functional
Subject: Re: why lambda ?
Message-ID: <12733@darkstar.ucsc.edu>
Date: 23 Feb 91 23:14:52 GMT
References: <1952@seti.inria.fr>
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In article <1952@seti.inria.fr> ddr@margaux.inria.fr (Daniel de Rauglaudre) writes:
>There is a question of great importance in our institute: why "lambda"
>in "lambda calculus" ? Why not "alpha" or "dzeta" or any other symbol ?
>Does anybody know the origin of this choice ? Thank you for you answers.
>
>	Daniel de Rauglaudre
>	INRIA - France
>	ddr@inria.inria.fr


You could ask Church (I think he's still alive) but I don't think that
will help you because the last time they asked him he didn't remember
why he picked lambda. 

There are some speculations on lambda being a degenerate form of the
caret-sign (``^'') but I recall Church saying that "it's possible but
I don't know...".  

--Kjell
--
      For athletes and programmers,  ! Kjell E. Post
a woman is the end of their career.  ! CIS/CE
                                     ! University of California, Santa Cruz
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