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lambda calculus

Formal system in mathematical logic

Entitymathematical modelQ242028

Also known as λ-calculus · lambda calculi · λ-calculi · untyped lambda calculus · type-free lambda calculus

Instance of: mathematical model
Subclass of: formal system
Part of: theory of computation

Overview

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia · Read full article · Text CC BY-SA 4.0

In mathematical logic, the lambda calculus is a formal system for expressing computation based on function abstraction and application using variable binding and substitution. Untyped lambda calculus, the topic of this article, is a universal machine, i.e. a model of computation that can be used to simulate any Turing machine. It was introduced by the mathematician Alonzo Church in the 1930s as part of his research into the foundations of mathematics. In 1936, Church found a formulation which was logically consistent, and documented it in 1940.

Overview

All data

33 statements · 27% with external sources · numbers in brackets are citations

Discovered by: Alonzo Church discovered: 1932
Named after: Λ
Has use: model of computation
Has characteristic: Turing completeness

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24 identifiers linking lambda calculus across the web's reference databases

Data quality

statements

27%

externally sourced

Source last edited July 21, 2026. AIDB refreshes this page daily.

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AIDB. (2026). lambda calculus (Q242028). Retrieved from https://aidb.si/e/lambda-calculus-Q242028