Lambda - Lambda, The Word

Lambda, The Word

• In programming languages such as Lisp and Python, lambda is an operator used to denote anonymous functions or closures, following the usage of lambda calculus. An example of this use of lambda in the Python language is this section of computer code that sorts a list alphabetically by the last character of each entry:

>>> list = >>> sorted(list, key=lambda word: (word))

• In the C# programming language a lambda expression is an anonymous functions that can contain expressions and statements.
• The language Unlambda is a functional programming language based upon combinatory logic, a simplification of the lambda calculus that does not involve the lambda at all, hence the un- prefix.
• An automotive oxygen sensor (O₂ sensor) is also known as a lambda probe, sensor, sond, or sonde.
• Lambda is used in art and photography to refer to a digital Type C print, or to the equipment that is used to produce it.
• Lambda was used by Pythagoras to denote the "Lambda number sequence" 1, 2, 3, 4, 9, 8, 27, ...,(sequence A098293 in OEIS) formed by the integers of the form 2i and 3i, for nonnegative integer i.
• In the study of gasoline engines, Lambda sometimes refers to the air/fuel mixture going into the engine.