What is LISP (list processing)? - Definition from Whatis.com

Definition

LISP (list processing)

LISP, an acronym for list processing, is a programming language that was designed for easy manipulation of data strings. Developed in 1959 by John McCarthy, it is a commonly used language for artificial intelligence (AI) programming. It is one of the oldest programming languages still in relatively wide use.

In LISP, all computation is expressed as a function of at least one object. Objects can be other functions, data items (such as constants or variables), or data structures. LISP's ability to compute with symbolic expressions rather than numbers makes it convenient for AI applications.

This was last updated in May 2000

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