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A direct dictionary connecting the formal λ-calculus/type-theory notation used in a few “Mathematical reading” boxes throughout this book back to the Lean syntax it corresponds to. This page is a lookup table, not something to read start to finish — Chapter 1, Section 4 and Chapter 1, Section 5, Chapter 3, Section 2, and Chapter 5, Section 3 are where each row is actually built up and explained.

λ-calculus / type theory Lean syntax Where in this book
variable $x$ x Chapter 1
abstraction $\lambda x.\, t$ fun x => t Chapter 1
application $t_1\, t_2$ t1 t2 Chapter 1
α-conversion (silent, automatic)
β-reduction $(\lambda x.t)s \to t[x:=s]$ rfl, #eval reduction Chapter 1, Section 4, Chapter 5, Section 4 (definitional equality)
type judgment $\Gamma \vdash t : \tau$ #check t Chapter 1
simple function type $\tau_1 \to \tau_2$ τ1 → τ2 Chapter 1, Chapter 5, Section 3
universe hierarchy $\mathtt{Type}\,i$ Type, Type 1, … Chapter 5, Sections 2–3
Π-type $\prod_{x:A} B(x)$ (x : A) → B x, ∀ x : A, B x Chapter 1, Sections 3, 5, Chapter 3
Σ-type $\sum_{x:A} B(x)$ structure (extractable); ∃ x, P x is a restricted cousin (no witness-extraction) rather than literally Σ Chapter 2, Chapter 1, Section 5
proof-irrelevant universe Prop Chapter 3, Chapter 1, Section 5
inductive data (beyond bare CoC) inductive, structure Chapters 1, 2, 11
Curry–Howard: propositions-as-types Prop/proof terms Chapter 3
progress + preservation Lean’s kernel type-checker Chapter 5, Section 3
Church numerals (encoded data) Nat (but built via inductive, not encoded) Chapter 1, Section 4, Chapter 13 (aside)
Church booleans / if-then-else via application Bool, if/match (but native, not encoded) Chapter 13 (aside)

Two related facts, explained where their own dictionary rows live rather than repeated here: tactics (Chapter 1, Section 4) add nothing to the underlying calculus — they are a user interface for building the same terms step by step — and elaboration/unification (Chapter 1, Section 4) is type inference for this calculus, a well-understood algorithm, not magic.


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