Which statement describes Functional Programming?

Which statement describes Functional Programming?

• A. A programming paradigm that uses functions to create programs.
• B. A programming paradigm based on object-oriented design.
• C. A programming paradigm that relies on global state.
• D. A method for converting code into machine language.

Answer: (A)

Functional programming builds programs by composing and applying functions. It treats functions as first-class values, allowing them to be passed around, returned, and stored, while emphasizing pure functions that avoid shared or mutable state so outputs depend only on inputs. This leads to clearer reasoning, fewer side effects, and easier composition of complex behaviors. The statement that describes this paradigm as using functions to create programs captures the essence, whereas the others miss the key emphasis: object-oriented design centers on objects and classes, relying on mutable state; relying on global state contradicts functional purity; and turning code into machine language is about compilation, not a programming paradigm.

Functional programming builds programs by composing and applying functions. It treats functions as first-class values, allowing them to be passed around, returned, and stored, while emphasizing pure functions that avoid shared or mutable state so outputs depend only on inputs. This leads to clearer reasoning, fewer side effects, and easier composition of complex behaviors. The statement that describes this paradigm as using functions to create programs captures the essence, whereas the others miss the key emphasis: object-oriented design centers on objects and classes, relying on mutable state; relying on global state contradicts functional purity; and turning code into machine language is about compilation, not a programming paradigm.