1 Quantum Lambda Calculus Peter Selinger Dalhousie University, Canada Benoı̂t Valiron INRIA and École Polytechnique, LIX, Palaiseau, France. Abstract We discuss the design of a typed lambda calculus for quantum compu- tation. After a brief discussion of the role of higher-order functions in quantum information theory, we define the quantum lambda calculus and its operational semantics. Safety inv