It is all distributivity

Let • be a binary infix operator. Depending on how we Curry, we can form two classes of unary operators from , the general elements of which are often denoted by (x•) and (•y), defined

(x•) = 〈λy: xy〉      (•y) = 〈λx: xy

We call them in this note "the derived unary operators".

To begin with we observe —with apologies for the two different usages of parentheses—

(xz)•y = x•(zy)

=        {definition of derived operators}

(•y).((x•).z) = (x•).((•y).z)

=        {definition of functional composition}

((•y)◦(x•)).z = ((x•)◦(•y)).z  ,

hence, that a binary operator is "associative" means that its derived unary operators commute.

To say that • "distributes over" some binary operator is really a statement about its derived unary operators: "• distributes from the left over □" means that for all x, y, z:

  (x•).(yz) = (x•).y □ (x•).z   ;

distribution from the right means similarly

  (•x).(y z) = (•x).y □ (•x).z   .

Both formulae are of the form

  f.(yz) = f.yf.z  ,

which captures "f distributes over □". But what comes of this formula if □ turns out to be unary? Replacing in the last formula pq by g.p, we get

  f.(g.y) = g.(f.y) or fg = gf .

Hence, that two unary operators "commute" means that they distribute over each other. Hence, that a binary operator is associative just means that its derived unary operators distribute over each other.

Austin, 2 November 1992

prof. dr. Edsger W. Dijkstra
Department of Computer Sciences
The University of Texas as Austin
Austin, TX 78712-1188 USA


Transcribed by Guy Haworth.

Last revised Mon, 31 Dec 2007.