Abstract

A bracket abstraction algorithm is a means of translating $\lambda$-terms into combinators. Broda and Damas, in [1], introduce a new, rather natural set of combinators and a new form of bracket abstraction which introduces at most one combinator for each $\lambda$-abstraction. This leads to particularly compact combinatory terms. A disadvantage of their abstraction process is that it includes the whole Schonfinkel [4] algorithm plus two mappings which convert the Schonfinkel abstract into the new abstract. This paper shows how the new abstraction can be done more directly, in fact, using only 2n - 1 algorithm steps if there are n occurrences of the variable to be abstracted in the term. Some properties of the Broda-Damas combinators are also considered.