yogi
answered May 2 '23 00:00
In Python, a lambda function is a small anonymous function that can be defined on the fly, without the need for a formal function definition. It is sometimes called a "lambda expression" or a "lambda abstraction". The syntax for defining a lambda function in Python is as follows:
lambda arguments: expression
Here, arguments refers to the input arguments to the function, and expression is a single expression that defines the operation to be performed on the input arguments. The lambda function can then be assigned to a variable or passed as an argument to another function.
For example, here's a simple lambda function that computes the square of a number:
square = lambda x: x**2
This lambda function takes a single input argument x and returns its square. It can be called like any other function, as shown below:
result = square(5)
print(result) # Output: 25
Lambda functions are particularly useful when you need to define a small function that is only used once , such as when you want to pass a function as an argument to another function, or when you need to define a simple callback function. They can also make code more concise and easier to read, especially when used with functions like map(), filter(), and reduce().