Concepts and Confusions of Prefix, Infix, Postfix and Lisp Notations

By Xah Lee. Date: . Last updated: .

In LISP languages, they use a notation like (+ 1 2) to mean 1+2. Likewise, they write (if test this that) to mean if (test) {this} else {that}. LISP code have the form (a b c …), where the a b c themselves may also be of that form. There is a wide misunderstanding that this notation being “prefix notation”. In this article, i'll give some general overview of the meanings of Algebraic Notation and prefix, infix, postfix notations, and explain how LISP notation is a Functional Notation and calling it “prefix notation” is misleading and misconception at a fundamental level.

The math notation we encounter in school, such as 1+2, is called Infix Algebraic Notation. Algebraic notations have the concept of operators, meaning, symbols placed around arguments. In algebraic infix notation, different symbols have different stickiness levels defined for them. For example, 3+2*5>7 means (3+(2*5))>7, not ((3+2)*5)>7, because the operator “*” has a higher stickness than the operator “+”, and “+” has a higher stickness than the “>” operator. The stickiness of operator symbols is normally called “Operator Precedence”. It is done by giving a order specification for the symbols, or equivalently, give each symbol a integer index, so that for example if we have a△b▲c, we can unambiguously understand it to mean one of (a△b)▲c or a△(b▲c). (besides a order for operators, each operator must also specify a left/right priority, to resolve cases like this: a△b△c to mean (a△b)△c or a△(b△c), important when the function associated with the operator is not associative. For example, exponential: 3^4^5.)

In a algebraic postfix notation known as Reverse Polish Notation, there needs not to have the concept of Operator Precedence. For example, the infix notation (3+(2*5))>7 is written as 3 2 5 * + 7 >, where the operation simply evaluates from left to right. Similarly, for a prefix notation syntax, the evaluation goes from right to left, as in > 7 + * 5 2 3.

While functional notations, do not employ the concept of Operators, because there is no operators. Everything is a syntactically a “function”, written as f(a,b,c…). For example, the same expression above is written as greaterThan( plus(3, times(2,5)), 7) or using symbols: >( +(3, *(2,5)), 7)

For lisps in particular, their fully functional notation is historically termed sexp (short for S-Expression, where S stands for Symbolic). It is sometimes known as Fully Parenthesized Notation. For example, in lisp the above example is written as: (> (+ 3 (* 2 5)) 7).

The common concepts of “prefix, postfix, infix” are notions in algebraic notations only. Because in Full Functional Notation, there are no operators, therefore no positioning to talk about. A Function's arguments are simply explicitly written out inside a pair of brackets.

The reason for the misconception that lisp notation is “prefix” is because the function name appears as the head in the enclosed parenthesis. Such use of the term “prefix” is a confusion engenderer because the significance of the term lies in algebraic notation systems that involve the concept of operators and order.

A side note: the terminology “Algebraic” Notation is a misnomer. It seems to imply that such notations have something to do with the branch of math called algebra while other notation systems do not. The reason the name Algebraic Notation is used because when the science of algebra was young, around 1700s mathematicians are dealing with equations using symbols like + × = written out similar to the way we use them today. This is before the activities of systematic investigation into notation systems as necessitated in the studies of logic in 1800s or programing languages in 1900s. So, when notation systems are explored and invented, the conventional way of infixing + × = became known as algebraic because that's what people think of when seeing them.

See also: What is Function, What is Operator? .

Prefix, Infix, Postfix notations in Mathematica

The Head of Expressions

Lisp's nested parenthesis syntax is a Functional Notation. It has the general form of (f a b …) where any of the symbols inside the matching parenthesis may again be that form. For example, here's a code snippet in Emacs Lisp.

;; Recursively apply (f x i), where i is the ith element in the list li.
;; For example, (fold f x '(1 2)) computes (f (f x 1) 2)
(defun fold (f x li)
  (let ((li2 li) (ele) (x2 x))
    (while (setq ele (pop li2))
      (setq x2 (funcall f x2 ele))
    )
    x2
  )
)

Vast majority of programing languages, interpret source code in a one-dimensional linear nature. Namely, from left to right, line by line, as in written text. (Examples of programing language's source code that are not linear in nature, are spreadsheet, cellular automata, visual programing languages) For languages that interpret source code linearly, there is almost always a hierarchical (tree) structure (from the language's grammar that allows nesting (that is, the context free grammar)). Lisp's notation is the most effective in visually showing the tree structure of the syntax. This is because, a function and its arguments, are simply laid out inside matching brackets. The level of nesting corresponds to the order of evaluating expressions.

The first element inside the matching parenthesis, is called the “head” of the expression. For example, in (f a b), the “f” is the head. The head is a function, and the rest of the symbols inside the matching parenthesis are its arguments.

The head of lisp's notation needs not to be defined as the first element inside the parenthesis. For example, we can define the “head” to be the last element inside the parenthesis. So, we write (arg1 arg2 … f) instead of the usual (f arg1 arg2 …) and its syntactical structure remains unchanged. Like wise, you can move the head outside of the parenthesis.

In Mathematica, the head is placed in front of the parenthesis, and square brackets are used instead of parenthesis for the enclosing delimiter. For example, lisp's (f a b c) is Mathematica's f[a,b,c]. Other examples: (sin θ) vs Sin[θ], (map f list) vs Map[f,list]. Placing the head in front of the matching bracket makes the notation more familiar, because it is the same how math are traditionally written.

However, there is a disadvantage in moving the head of a expression from inside the matching bracket to outside. Namely: The evaluation order no longer completely corresponds to nesting level of the text in source code, WHEN THE HEAD IS ITSELF A COMPOUND EXPRESSION.

For example, suppose Deriv is a function that takes a function f and returns a function g (the derivative of f), and we want to apply g to a variable x. In lisp, we would write ((Deriv f) x). In Mathematica, we would write Deriv[f][x].

In lisp's version, the nesting level corresponds to the order of the evaluation. In the Mathematica's form, it is no longer so, because now you have forms like this: a[b][c], and there is no nesting that indicates whether it means (a[b])[c] or a([b][c]).

[see WolframLang: Syntax, Operators Cheatsheet]

A Systematic System for Prefix, Postfix, Infix Notations

A prefix notation in Mathematica has the form f@arg. For example: f@a@b@c is equivalent to f[a[b[c]]] or lisp's (f (a (b c))). Mathematica also offers a postfix notation using the operator “//”. For example, c//b//a//f is syntactically equivalent to f[a[b[c]]]. Unix shell's pipe “|” syntax, is a form of postfix notation. For example, c | b | a | f.

For example, Sin[List[1,2,3]] can be written as Sin@List[1,2,3] or List[1,2,3]//Sin. These are all SYNTACTICALLY equivalent. For infix notation, the function symbol is placed between its arguments. In Mathematica, the generic form for infix notation is by sandwiching the tilde symbol around the function name. For example, Join[List[1,2],List[3,4]] is syntactically equivalent to List[1,2] ~Join~ List[3,4].

Note: Infix notation, is inherently limited to functions with 2 parameters. This is purely a syntactical issue, due to the fact that the source code is written linearly in a one-dimensional line. There are only 2 spots, the left and the right, to the infix operator. In a similar way, prefix and postfix notations, are inherently limited to functions with one parameter. You might think that's not true because we can use parenthesis to enclose function's arguments. Once you let in a matching delimiter for function's parameters, you have a syntax for nesting of functions, and it is no longer the simple prefix, postfix, or infix notation, you have functional notation.

Systematic System of Operators

Besides a systematic prefix, infix, postfix notations, used together with the function's names as operators. Mathematica introduces familiar operators in a systematic way. For example, The “Plus” in Plus[a,b] is given a operator of “+”, so Plus[1,2] can be written as 1+2. Other arithmetic functions are all given a operator in a similar way. For example, Times[a,b] can be written as a*b. Divide[a,b] is a/b. Power[2,8] can be written as 2^8. The “List” in List[1,2,3] is given a match-fix bracket operator “{}”, so that, List[1,2,3] can be more easily written as {1,2,3}. The boolean “And” function is given the operator &&, so that And[a,b] can be written with the more familiar and convenient a && b. The Map function in Map[f, List[1,2,3]] is given the operator “/@”, so the example would be written as f /@ List[1,2,3].

The gist being that most commonly used functions are mapped to special symbols as operators to emulate the irregular but nevertheless well-understood conventional notations. Also, it reduces the use of deep nesting that is difficult to type and manage. Combining all these types of systematic syntax variations, it can make the source code easier to read than a purely nested structure. For example, common math expressions such as 3+2*5>7 don't have to be written as Greater[Plus[3,Times[2,5]],7] or the lispy (> (+ 3 (* 2 5)) 7).

Note: it can also make the source code harder to read if the notations are mixed up unreasonably or intentionally as in obfuscated code.

C and Perl

When we say that C uses infix notation, the term “infix notation” is used loosely for convenience of description. C and other language's syntaxes derived from it (For example, Java, Perl, JavaScript, etc) are not based on a notation system, but takes the approach of a ad hoc syntax soup. Things like {i++, ++i, for(;;){}, while(){}, 0x123, expr1 ? expr2 : expr3, sprint(…%s…,…), …} are syntax whimsies. They lack a formal basis.

Perl mongers are proud of their slogan of There's More Than One Way To Do It in its variegated syntax sugars. In languages based on a systematic notation system, such as Mathematica, the constructs in source code are much more varied yet remain formally simple.

Thanks to Andrew Haley for a correction.