Lecture 5: Higher-Order Abstract Syntax

In today's class, we take the programming language Mini-ML introduced in the previous classes, and try to represent in a programming language. We consider and discuss three techniques for the representation variables: variables as strings, variables as numbers, and variables as meta variables. The latter is called higher-order abstract syntax, and is one of the fundamental concepts of the underlying the lectures to come.

Suggested Reading Materials:

Frank Pfenning. Computation and Deduction, Chapter 3

Handout: Higher-order abstract syntax

Source Code:

Interpreter for the operational semantics of Mini-ML using higher-order abstract syntax, written in SML.

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Next lecture: Lecture 6