# In lambda calculus, can the parameter of abstraction be a non-variable lambda expression?

In short, my main confusion is between the two concept variable and lambda expression:

I am reading this reference here:

The syntax of (pure) lambda expressions is defined as follows:

1. A variable is a lambda expression (we will use single, lower-case letters for variables).
2. If M and N are lambda expressions, then so are each of the following:

a) (M)
b) λid.M
c) MN

We can express the rules given above that define the language of lambda expressions using a context-free grammar: exp → ID | ( exp ) | λ ID . exp // abstraction | exp exp // application

From rule #1 and the context-free grammar, I think the author means that ID refers to variable, and variable ∈ lambda expression. But I am not sure whether lambda expression ∈ variable.

Question:
May I know whether I can use a "complex" expressions (e.g. a non-variable lambda expression) as id in λid.M? Intuitively, I interpret variable represented by an ID with a single letter, but I could not find reference to support my conjecture. (or in other words, how is variable defined in lambda calculus, if this is not too broad a question?)

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• The phrase “A variable is a lambda expression” follows the same pattern as “a fish is an animal” or “burglary is a crime”. It does not assert that the two things are the same. – MJD Aug 25 '14 at 14:07
• "ID" here is an abbreviation for "identifier", which is computer science jargon for "variable name". The idea here is that we have some collection of variable names (“identifiers”) already, and a λ-expression can be either a simple variable, or something in one of the three more complex forms given. For example, supposing that a and b are variables, then λa.b and λa.(a a) are λ-expressions. – MJD Aug 28 '14 at 17:23