AN INVESTIGATION OF THE ROLE OF FUNCTIONAL PROGRAMMING IN THE UNDERGRADUATE COMPUTING CURRICULUM

Abstract

We are witnessing a resurgence of interest inFunctional Programming (FP). Unlike the imperativemodels of computing, FP has its roots in Lambda Calculus,a branch of Mathematical Programming that predates themodern computer. FP’s conception and design weretherefore not as much constrained by the physicallimitations of the computer as was the case for theimperative models including Object Oriented programming.Besides its Mathematical roots, FP provides many otherbenefits for software engineering and computing curricula.While the OO paradigm remains dominant both in industryand academia, its limits are already being seen. We examinein this paper the key role that FP can play within academiccomputing curricula and see why its return to prominence issomething that we in academia must embrace and promotegiven its many benefits to our profession.Keywords ⎯ λ-calculus, functional, object-oriented,software engineering, curriculum.