A New Implementation Technique for Applicative Languages

It is shown how by using results from combinatory logic an applicative language, such as LISP, can be translated into a form from which all bound variables have been removed. A machine is described which can efficiently execute the resulting code. This implementation is compared with a conventional interpreter and found to have a number of advantages. Of these the most important is that programs which exploit higher order functions to achieve great compactness of expression are executed much more e5ciently.