# P′′

> primitive computer programming language

**Wikidata**: [Q2072087](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q2072087)  
**Wikipedia**: [English](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/P′′)  
**Source**: https://4ort.xyz/entity/p

## Summary  
P′′ (pronounced “P double‑prime”) is a primitive, imperative programming language created in 1964 by Italian mathematician and computer scientist Corrado Böhm. It is classified as a programming language and is an early ancestor of the esoteric language Brainfuck.

## Key Facts  
- **Inception:** 1964 【source】  
- **Designer:** Corrado Böhm, noted mathematician and computer scientist【source】  
- **Classification:** Instance of a programming language【source】  
- **Paradigm:** Imperative and structured programming【source】  
- **Aliases:** P", P′′, P prime prime【source】  
- **Parent/Related Language:** Directly linked to the esoteric language Brainfuck【source】  
- **Freebase identifier:** /m/06ypf2【source】  
- **Described on:** Esolang wiki (English) with article “P′′”【source】  
- **Wikipedia presence:** Articles in six languages (en, es, ja, pt, ru, uk)【source】

## FAQs  
### Q: What is P′′?  
A: P′′ is a primitive computer programming language devised in 1964 by Corrado Böhm. It follows an imperative, structured programming model and is an early predecessor of the esoteric language Brainfuck.  

### Q: Who created P′′ and when?  
A: The language was designed by Italian mathematician and computer scientist Corrado Böhm in 1964.  

### Q: How does P′′ relate to Brainfuck?  
A: P′′ is listed as a parent or part of Brainfuck, indicating that Brainfuck’s design was influenced by or derived from concepts introduced in P′′.  

### Q: What programming paradigm does P′′ use?  
A: P′′ employs imperative programming with a focus on structured programming constructs.  

### Q: Where can I read more about P′′?  
A: Detailed information is available on the Esolang wiki page for “P′′” and in its multilingual Wikipedia entries.  

## Why It Matters  
P′′ occupies a notable niche in the history of programming language development. Designed by Corrado Böhm—an influential figure in early computer science—it exemplifies one of the earliest attempts to formalize a minimalist, imperative language. Its design principles foreshadowed later esoteric languages, most prominently Brainfuck, which deliberately embraces extreme minimalism for artistic and theoretical exploration. By tracing the lineage from P′′ to Brainfuck, scholars can observe how foundational ideas about instruction simplicity and computational universality evolved over decades. Understanding P′′ therefore offers insight into the roots of language minimalism, the evolution of programming paradigms, and the broader narrative of how theoretical constructs transition into cultural artifacts within the programming community.  

## Notable For  
- **Early Minimalist Design:** One of the first primitive languages emphasizing minimal instruction sets (1964).  
- **Creator Prestige:** Designed by Corrado Böhm, a pioneering mathematician and computer scientist.  
- **Influence on Esoterica:** Directly linked as a parent language to Brainfuck, a landmark esoteric language.  
- **Structured Imperative Paradigm:** Combines imperative execution with structured programming concepts, rare for its era.  
- **Cross‑language Documentation:** Documented across six Wikipedia language editions and the Esolang wiki.  

## Body  

### History  
- **1964:** Corrado Böhm introduces P′′ as a primitive programming language.  
- The language predates many modern high‑level languages, reflecting early experimentation with minimal instruction sets.  

### Design and Paradigm  
- **Imperative Model:** Commands execute sequentially, directly manipulating a computational state.  
- **Structured Programming:** Encourages clear control flow without unstructured jumps, aligning with emerging best practices of the 1960s.  

### Relationship to Brainfuck  
- **Parent/Part Link:** Wikidata lists Brainfuck (created 1993) as a language that incorporates concepts from P′′.  
- **Conceptual Continuity:** Both languages share a focus on minimalism, though Brainfuck pushes the idea to an extreme for recreational purposes.  

### Technical Identifiers  
- **Aliases:** P", P′′, P prime prime.  
- **Freebase ID:** /m/06ypf2, facilitating cross‑database referencing.  
- **Wikidata Entry:** Classified under “programming language” with a description of “primitive computer programming language.”  

### Documentation and References  
- **Esolang Wiki:** Primary descriptive source, English language entry titled “P′′.”  
- **Wikipedia:** Available in English, Spanish, Japanese, Portuguese, Russian, and Ukrainian, indicating broader scholarly interest.  

### Legacy  
- P′′ serves as a historical touchstone for researchers studying the evolution of language minimalism and the theoretical underpinnings of computational universality. Its influence on later esoteric languages underscores the lasting impact of early design experiments on contemporary programming culture.

## References

1. Freebase Data Dumps. 2013