HöhereOrdnungFunktionen

HöhereOrdnungFunktionen is a term used in functional programming to describe functions that operate on other functions. This can mean either taking a function as an argument or returning a function as a result, or both. These functions are fundamental to many programming paradigms, allowing for more abstract and reusable code.

Functions that accept other functions as arguments are known as higher-order functions. For example, a function that maps another function over a list, applying it to each element, is a higher-order function. Similarly, functions that return new functions are also considered higher-order. This is often used in techniques like currying or creating specialized functions based on a given input.

The concept of higher-order functions is closely related to lambda calculus, a formal system in mathematical logic for expressing computation based on function abstraction and application. Many modern programming languages, both functional and imperative, have adopted support for higher-order functions, greatly enhancing their expressiveness and capability. Examples include map, filter, and reduce operations, which are common higher-order functions found in many libraries. They enable developers to write more declarative and concise code, focusing on what needs to be done rather than how to do it. This abstraction layer can lead to significant improvements in code readability and maintainability.