A representation of integers as functions invented by {Alonzo Church}, inventor of {lambda-calculus}. The integer N is represented as a higher-order function which applies a given function N times to a given expression. In the {pure lambda-calculus} there are no constants but numbers can be represented by Church integers. A Haskell function to return a given Church integer could be written: church n = c where c f x = if n == 0 then x else c' f (f x) where c' = church (n-1) A function to turn a Church integer into an ordinary integer: unchurch c = c (+1) 0 See also von Neumann integer. (1994-11-29)

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[ 2 ] [ = ] [ al ] [ Alonzo Church ] [ am ] [ an ] [ app ] [ ar ] [ arc ] [ as ] [ at ] [ b ] [ bd ] [ be ] [ by ] [ C ] [ ca ] [ Ch ] [ ch ] [ co ] [ con ] [ cons ] [ cu ] [ de ] [ du ] [ ed ] [ ee ] [ eg ] [ er ] [ es ] [ et ] [ expression ] [ fi ] [ file ] [ function ] [ ge ] [ gh ] [ gi ] [ h ] [ higher-order function ] [ hr ] [ hu ] [ id ] [ ie ] [ il ] [ in ] [ int ] [ integer ] [ io ] [ is ] [ it ] [ ke ] [ la ] [ lambda-calculus ] [ lc ] [ ld ] [ Lex ] [ li ] [ ls ] [ lu ] [ ma ] [ man ] [ mo ] [ mod ] [ module ] [ N ] [ na ] [ nc ] [ nn ] [ no ] [ ns ] [ nu ] [ numbers ] [ nz ] [ ph ] [ pl ] [ pr ] [ pure lambda-calculus ] [ query ] [ rc ] [ re ] [ S ] [ se ] [ si ] [ sk ] [ so ] [ st ] [ T ] [ th ] [ to ] [ tt ] [ um ] [ us ] [ ve ] [ von Neumann integer ]