[Haskell-cafe] definition of the term "combinator"

[Kristopher Micinski]

I've always stuck to the definition of a closed lambda term (the Y, U, S,
K, etc... combinators, for example). The colloquial usage generally implies
something like "a higher order function that does something interesting
(and possibly DSL-y)."

Kris



On Sat, Aug 24, 2013 at 12:09 AM, damodar kulkarni
<kdamodar2000 at gmail.com>wrote:

> Hello,
> The word "combinator" is used several times in the Haskell community. e.g.
> parser combinator, combinator library etc.
>
> Is it exactly the same term that is used in the "combinatory logic" ?
> A combinator is a higher-order function that uses *only function
> application* and earlier defined combinators to define a result from its
> arguments. [1]
>
> It seems, the term combinator as in, say, "parser combinator", doesn't
> have much to do with the "*only function application*" requirement of the
> "combinatory logic", per se.
>
> If the above observation holds, is the term combinator as used in the
> Haskell community, properly defined?
>
> In other words:
>
> Where can I find a formal and precise definition of the term "combinator",
> as a term used by the Haskell community to describe "something"?
>
> Ref: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Combinatory_logic
>
> Thanks and regards,
> -Damodar Kulkarni
>
>
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