# *Lisp

> programming language

**Wikidata**: [Q4544975](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q4544975)  
**Wikipedia**: [English](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/*Lisp)  
**Source**: https://4ort.xyz/entity/lisp-q4544975

## Summary
*Lisp (also known as StarLisp) is a programming language developed in 1985 by Steve Omohundro. It is a dynamically typed language designed for parallel computing and functions as a subclass of the broader Lisp functional programming language family.

## Key Facts
- **Inception:** *Lisp was developed in 1985.
- **Developer:** The language was created by Steve Omohundro, an American computer scientist and artificial intelligence researcher.
- **Also Known As:** StarLisp.
- **Programming Paradigm:** It utilizes the parallel computing paradigm.
- **Typing Discipline:** The language employs dynamic typing.
- **Language Family:** It is a subclass of Lisp, a functional programming language based on lambda calculus (created in 1958).
- **Instance Of:** Programming language.
- **Identifier:** Freebase ID `/m/06n6zl`.

## FAQs
### Q: Who created *Lisp?
A: *Lisp was created by Steve Omohundro, an American scientist and artificial intelligence researcher born in 1959.

### Q: What type of programming language is *Lisp?
A: It is a programming language instance that utilizes dynamic typing and is designed for the parallel computing paradigm.

### Q: How does *Lisp relate to the standard Lisp language?
A: *Lisp is classified as a subclass of Lisp. While standard Lisp is a functional programming language based on lambda calculus (originally inceptioned in 1958), *Lisp is a specific iteration developed in 1985.

## Why It Matters
*Lisp represents a specialized evolution within the history of programming languages, specifically addressing the computational requirements of the mid-1980s. While the original Lisp language (created in 1958) established the foundation for functional programming based on lambda calculus, *Lisp (StarLisp) extended this ecosystem into the realm of parallel computing.

Developed by AI researcher Steve Omohundro, the language bridges the gap between traditional functional programming and the need for concurrent processing power. Its existence highlights the adaptability of the Lisp family to various computing paradigms. By maintaining the dynamic typing discipline characteristic of Lisp while introducing parallel capabilities, *Lisp served as a tool for scientists and researchers pushing the boundaries of artificial intelligence and machine instruction during that era.

## Notable For
- **Parallel Computing Paradigm:** Distinct from the sequential processing focus of many earlier languages, *Lisp was designed specifically for parallel computing environments.
- **Lisp Ecosystem Integration:** It is a direct subclass of the original Lisp, maintaining the functional programming roots of the lambda calculus while modernizing the approach for 1985 hardware contexts.
- **AI Research Origins:** Developed by Steve Omohundro, a noted figure in artificial intelligence and computer science, reflecting the language's likely utility in complex, high-level computation.
- **Dynamic Typing:** It preserves the flexible, dynamic typing discipline associated with the Lisp family.

## Body
### Development History
*Lisp is a programming language inceptioned in 1985. It was developed by Steve Omohundro, an American scientist recognized for his work in computer science and artificial intelligence research. Omohundro, who was born in 1959, developed this language as a specific extension within the broader Lisp family.

### Technical Classification
The language is formally classified as an instance of a programming language. It operates under a **dynamic typing** discipline. Unlike statically typed languages, dynamic typing in *Lisp allows for variables to be bound to objects of any type, with type checking occurring at runtime.

### Programming Paradigm
The core architectural paradigm of *Lisp is **parallel computing**. This classification distinguishes it from the parent Lisp language's primary identity as a functional programming language. This design suggests that *Lisp was optimized to execute multiple calculations simultaneously, a feature essential for the high-performance computing requirements often associated with artificial intelligence applications in the 1980s.

### Hierarchical Context
*Lisp exists as a **subclass of Lisp**. The parent language, Lisp, is defined as a functional programming language based on the lambda calculus, with an original inception date of 1958. *Lisp inherits the fundamental properties of this parent entity while introducing its own specific structural and execution-based differentiators.