Product Description

Category theory is a branch of pure mathematics that is becoming an increasingly important tool in theoretical computer science, especially in programming language semantics, domain theory, and concurrency, where it is already a standard language of discourse. Assuming a minimum of mathematical preparation, Basic Category Theory for Computer Scientists provides a straightforward presentation of the basic constructions and terminology of category theory, including limits, functors, natural transformations, adjoints, and cartesian closed categories. Four case studies illustrate applications of category theory to programming language design, semantics, and the solution of recursive domain equations. A brief literature survey offers suggestions for further study in more advanced texts. Benjamin C. Pierce received his doctoral degree from Carnegie Mellon University.

Contents: Tutorial. Applications. Further Reading.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #378336 in Books
• Published on: 1991-08-07
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Paperback
• 114 pages

Features

• ISBN13: 9780262660716
• Condition: NEW
• Notes: Brand New from Publisher. No Remainder Mark.
• Click here to view our Condition Guide and Shipping Prices

About the Author
Benjamin C. Pierce is Professor of Computer and Information Science at the University of Pennsylvania.

Customer Reviews

Really expensive for a set of notes...
You can find better introductions to category theory available on the net for free. Try searching for Lambert Meertens, Marten Fokkinga, and Jaap Van Oosten, for example. Or Barr and Wells, Triples, Toposes, and Theories. Or Asperti and Longo. Or watch Eugenia Cheng's videos on YouTube, which are fantastic.

But if you want to buy a book, get Barr and Wells, Category Theory for Computing Science. Unfortunately, you have to order it directly from the University of Montreal. It's a great book, by far the best intro to category theory available, *way* better than this! Then, after that, you can read MacLane...

Too terse
This is a very short book: 70 pages of text + a bibliography. The first 50 pages are about general category theory, and the last 20 pages are specifically for computer scientists. My interest is in general category theory, and I bought this because I have a BS in CS and thought I'd find plenty of familiar examples. Unfortunately this book doesn't have nearly enough examples. I found it easier to skim some undergrad abstract algebra books in the library (groups, rings, vector spaces) and then continuing with category theory intros written for math students.

Clear and concise
This is an excellent introduction to category theory, not just for computer scientists, but for mathematicians as well. The author has a very clear writing style--it's evident that he writes to help people to understand the subject, and not to show off his knowledge. The examples illustrating various principles are easy to understand, especially the ones used to illustrate adjoints, arguably one of the more difficult concepts in category theory. This book also comes with a very valuable annotated bibliography, enabling one to intelligently choose from the many books and articles in this burgeoning field.

Read this book before you tackle Mac Lane.