reduction

n 1: the act of decreasing or reducing something [syn: {decrease},

{diminution}, {step-down}] [ant: {increase}]

2: any process in which electrons are added to an atom or ion

(as by removing oxygen or adding hydrogen); always occurs

accompanied by oxidation of the reducing agent [syn: {reducing}]

3: the act of reducing complexity [syn: {simplification}]

reduction

(Or "contraction") The process of transforming an expression

according to certain reduction rules. The most important

forms are {beta reduction} (application of a {lambda

abstraction} to one or more argument expressions) and {delta

reduction} (application of a mathematical function to the

required number of arguments).

An {evaluation strategy} (or {reduction strategy}), determines

which part of an expression (which redex) to reduce first.

There are many such strategies.

See {graph reduction}, {string reduction}, {normal order

reduction}, {applicative order reduction}, {parallel

reduction}, {alpha conversion}, {beta conversion}, {delta

conversion}, {eta conversion}.

(1995-02-21)