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Programming Language Theory

Also Known As PLT
Theory Of Computation

Programming language theory is the branch of computer science that deals with the design, implementation, analysis, characterization and classification of programming languages. Its deepest root predates electronic computers: the lambda calculus, developed by Alonzo Church and Stephen Cole Kleene in the 1930s, is considered by some to be the world's first programming language, and it still anchors how the field reasons about computation and meaning. This description is adapted from Wikipedia contributors under CC BY-SA 4.0; changes were made. https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/

Facts
Disputed
Origin Year
1936 1
The lambda calculus, developed by Alonzo Church and Stephen Cole Kleene in the 1930s, is considered by some to be the world's first programming language and the field's mathematical root; Noam Chomsky's 1956 work on formal grammars is a second, later origin point some scholars use instead.
Core Concern
What programming languages can express, how they are given precise meaning, and how they are designed and implemented. 1
Programming Language Theory
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Connections

Associated With

Formal Methods, Fields
Source Wikipedia: Formal Methods
John Backus, Pioneers

John Backus led the team that designed Fortran and co-developed Backus-Naur Form, the notation for formally specifying a programming language's grammar that underlies most later work in programming language theory.

Source ACM A.M. Turing Award Citations

Includes

Source Wikipedia: ALGOL
Source Wikipedia: Barbara Liskov
Compiler, Concepts
Source Wikipedia: Garbage collection (computer science)
Source Wikipedia: Haskell
Parsing, Concepts
Source Wikipedia: Pascal (programming language)
Source Wikipedia: Scheme (programming language)
Source Wikipedia: Standard ML
Sources
1. Wikipedia: Programming Language Theory
Wikimedia Foundation
  • Opening and History sections
    Programming language theory (PLT) is a branch of computer science that deals with the design, implementation, analysis, characterization, and classification of formal languages known as programming languages.
  • History section
    The lambda calculus, developed by Alonzo Church and Stephen Cole Kleene in the 1930s, is considered by some to be the world's first programming language.
  • Opening section
    Programming language theory (PLT) is a branch of computer science
View the Source
Wikipedia: ALGOL
Wikimedia FoundationIncludes: ALGOLView the Source
Wikipedia: Pascal (programming language)
Wikimedia FoundationIncludes: PascalView the Source
Wikipedia: Haskell
Wikimedia FoundationIncludes: HaskellView the Source
Wikipedia: Scheme (programming language)
Wikimedia FoundationIncludes: SchemeView the Source
Wikipedia: Standard ML
Wikimedia FoundationIncludes: Standard MLView the Source
ACM A.M. Turing Award Citations
Association for Computing MachineryAssociated With: John BackusView the Source
Wikipedia: Garbage collection (computer science)
Wikimedia FoundationIncludes: Garbage Collection, History sectionView the Source
Wikipedia: Formal Methods
Wikimedia FoundationAssociated With: Formal Methods, Fundamentals section
Quote, Associated With: Formal Methods, Fundamentals section
Formal methods employ a variety of theoretical computer science fundamentals, including logic calculi, formal languages, automata theory, control theory, program semantics, type systems, and type theory.
View the Source
Wikipedia: Barbara Liskov
Wikimedia FoundationIncludes: Barbara Liskov, contributions section
Quote, Includes: Barbara Liskov, contributions section
With Jeannette Wing, she developed a particular definition of subtyping, commonly known as the Liskov substitution principle.
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