Total Functional Programming [pdf]
I&#x27;m still a little unclear on what we would achieve by making the language &#x27;complete.&#x27; I get that being able to check for non-termination would be useful—but is there more?<p>The paper opens with:<p><i>The driving idea of functional programming is to make programming more closely related to mathematics.</i><p>From a paper by John Backus:<p><i>Associated with the functional style of programming is an algebra of programs whose variables range over programs and whose operations are combining forms. This algebra can be used to transform programs and to solve equations whose “unknowns” are programs in much the same way one transforms equations in high school algebra.</i><p>Are they talking about the same thing here?<p>Also, are there advantages to having such an algebra of programs outside of correctness verification?