Peter Landin

Updated: 12/01/2019 by Computer Hope
Peter Landin

Name: Peter John Landin

Born: June 5, 1930, in Sheffield, England

Death: June 3, 2009 (Age: 78)

Computer-related contributions

  • British computer scientist who was the first to realize that the lambda calculus could be used to model a programming language.
  • Active in the definition of the ALGOL programming language.
  • Responsible for inventing the SECD machine, the first abstract process virtual machine ever defined.
  • Invented the ISWIM programming language, defining the Landin off-side rule and for coining the term syntactic sugar.

Significant publications

  • Getting rid of labels (2009).
  • Calculations (2009).
  • Rod Burstall: A Personal Note (2002).
  • A Generalization of Jumps and Labels (1998).