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The Wolfram Language:
Fast Introduction for Programmers

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Applying Functions Video Version

It's very common to want to "map" a function over multiple expressions:

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Notes for Python programmers:

Map in the Wolfram Language is like map in Python, except that it can operate on arbitrary expression trees of any depth.


/@ ("slash at") is a short notation for Map:

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Notes for Java programmers:

Map in the Wolfram Language works similarly to the Stream.map method in Java, except that Map can be applied to any kind of expression.


This uses a pure function:

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Apply applies a function to multiple arguments:

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Notes for Python programmers:

Apply in the Wolfram Language is similar to the unpacking operator * in Python.


Expressions have "levels"—corresponding to the number of indices needed to extract a part. Functions like Map can operate at specific levels.

Notes for Java programmers:

"Levels" are another name for dimensions of an array, but generalized for all symbolic expressions. Multi-dimensional operations like this are not built into Java and would normally require loops.

Notes for Python programmers:

"Levels" are like dimensions of an array, but generalized for all symbolic expressions. Python's array functions are typically set up only for one-dimensional arrays.

Map defaults to operate at level 1:

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This operates only at level 2:

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@@ is equivalent to Apply, operating by default at level 0:

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@@@ means "apply at level 1":

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@ means ordinary function application:

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Which expression evaluates to g[{a, b, c}]?


Which one of these expressions evaluates to {{f[a], f[b]}, {f[c], f[d]}}?


Which of the following evaluates to {{{f[a], f[b]}}, {{f[c], f[d]}}}?

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