AN INTRODUCTION TO PARTIAL EVALUATION

Partial evaluation provides a unifying paradigm for a broad spectrum o f work in program optimization, compiling, interpretation and the gene ration of automatic program generators [Bjorner et al. 1987; Ershov 19 92; and Jones et al. 1993]. It is a program optimization technique, pe rhaps better called program specialization, closely related to but dif ferent from Jorring and Scherlis' staging transformations [1986]. It e mphasizes, in comparison with Burstall and Darlington [1977] and Jorri ng and Scherlis [1986] and other program transformation work, full aut omation and the generation of program generators as well as transformi ng single programs. Much partial evaluation work to date has concerned automatic compiler generation hom an interpretive definition of a pro gramming language, but it also has important applications to scientifi c computing, logic programming, metaprogramming, and expert systems; s ome pointers are given later.