Category
Noun · Development
Definitions
In category theory (and its application to typed functional programming), a mathematical structure consisting of objects and morphisms (arrows) between them, with identity arrows and associative composition — providing the formal basis for abstractions like Functor, Monad, and Natural Transformation.
In plain English: A branch of abstract math that studies how things relate to each other through transformations — programmers use its ideas to build powerful, composable abstractions.
Example: "Understanding the category theory behind monads is optional, but it explains why flatMap must be associative."
Related Terms
- Algebraic Data Type
- Cabal
- Closure
- Computation Expression
- Cons
- Continuation
- Currying
- Forall
- Functor
- GHC
- Higher-Order Function
- Immutability
- Lambda
- Lazy Evaluation
- List Comprehension
- Mapping
- Monad
- Type Class
- Applicative Functor
- Match Expression
- Partial Function
- Point-Free Style
- Reader Monad
- Scan
- Side Effect
- Smart Constructor
- State Reducer
- Type Signature
- Category Theory