Lisp Programming Interview Question:

What is a "Lisp Machine" (LISPM)?

Submitted by: Administrator

A Lisp machine (or LISPM) is a computer which has been optimized to run lisp
efficiently and provide a good environment for programming in it. The
original Lisp machines were implemented at MIT, with spinoffs as LMI (defunct)
and Symbolics (bankrupt). Xerox also had a series of Lisp machines
(Dandylion, Dandytiger), as did Texas Instruments (TI Explorer). The
TI and Symbolics Lisp machines are currently available as cards that
fit into Macintosh computers (the so-called "Lisp on a chip").

Optimizations typical of Lisp machines include:

- Hardware Type Checking. Special type bits let the type be checked
efficiently at run-time.

- Hardware Garbage Collection.

- Fast Function Calls.

- Efficient Representation of Lists.

- System Software and Integrated Programming Environments.

For further information, see:

Paul Graham, "Anatomy of a Lisp Machine", AI Expert, December 1988.

Pleszkun and Thazhuthaveetil, "The Architecture of Lisp Machines",
IEEE Computer, March 1987.

Ditzel, Schuler and Thomas, "A Lisp Machine Profile: Symbolics 3650",
AI Expert, January 1987.

Peter M. Kogge, "The Architecture of Symbolic Computers",
McGraw-Hill 1991. ISBN 0-07-035596-7.
Submitted by: Administrator