Living in Big Data with Vector Functional Programming

Explore the past, present, and future of array programming languages in this 34-minute conference talk from YOW! 2014 featuring Dave Thomas, founder and software industry expert. Discover why array languages, despite being relatively unknown, are among the most expressive and productive programming paradigms still heavily used in global financial markets. Learn how array developers pioneered learning through katas and patterns (then called idioms), including the now-pervasive map-reduce concept. Understand the evolution from APL to APL2, NIAL, J, and k, and why vector programming offers a natural, low-impedance approach for working with today's high-performance NoSQL and NewSQL column stores. The presentation traces the influence of APL on Smalltalk environments, array extensions in languages like Python NumPy, specialized languages like MatLab and R, and even modern hardware developments like GPUs and Intel AVX instructions.