Python Higher Order Function

Python functions that can take other functions as arguments or return a function as a result are called higher-order functions.

Syntax

def high_order_function(function):
    # perform some code here
    return function

Example

def square(x):
    return x * x

def cube(x):
    return x * x * x

def high_order_function(func):
    res = []
    for i in range(1, 6):
        res.append(func(i))
    return res

print(high_order_function(square))
print(high_order_function(cube))

Output

[1, 4, 9, 16, 25]
[1, 8, 27, 64, 125]

Explanation

In the above example, we have defined two functions, square and cube, that calculate the square and cube of a given number respectively. We have also defined a higher-order function called high_order_function that takes a function as an argument and returns a list of the calculated values for the specified range.

First, we pass the square function as an argument to the high_order_function. The high_order_function calls the square function for each value from 1 to 5 and stores the result in the res array. Finally, it returns the res array.

Similarly, we pass the cube function as an argument to the high_order_function and get the list of calculated values for 1 to 5.

Use

Higher-order functions make it easier to write compact and expressive code. They are widely used in functional programming paradigms.

Some examples of higher-order functions in Python are map, filter, and reduce.

Important Points

• Higher-order functions take one or more functions as input.
• Higher-order functions can return a function as output.
• Higher-order functions can manipulate functions like any other objects.

Summary

Python higher-order functions are functions that can take other functions as arguments or return a function as a result. They are used in functional programming paradigms to write compact and expressive code. Examples of higher-order functions in Python are map, filter, and reduce.