Lambda, the ultimate label or a simple optimizing compiler for Scheme

Abstract

Optimizing compilers for higher-order languages need not be terribly complex. The problems created by non-local, non-global variables can be eliminated by allocating all such variables in the heap. Lambda lifting makes this practical by eliminating all non-local variables except for those that would have to be allocated in the heap anyway. The eliminated non-local variables become local variables that can be allocated in registers. Since calls to known procedures are just gotos that pass arguments, lifted lambda expressions are just assembly language labels that have been augmented by a list of symbolic names for the registers that are live at that label.