what is lambda function in python and spark

 A lambda function, also known as an anonymous function, is a small and unnamed function defined using the `lambda` keyword. It is often used for short-term tasks, such as in functional programming operations like `map`, `filter`, and `reduce`. Here's a quick overview of how lambda functions work in both Python and PySpark:

### Python Lambda Function

A lambda function in Python can take any number of arguments but can only have one expression. The syntax is as follows:

```python
lambda arguments: expression
```

Here’s an example of using a lambda function to add two numbers:

```python
add = lambda x, y: x + y
print(add(2, 3))  # Output: 5
```

Lambda functions are often used with functions like `map()`, `filter()`, and `reduce()`:

```python
# Using lambda with map
numbers = [1, 2, 3, 4, 5]
squared = list(map(lambda x: x ** 2, numbers))
print(squared)  # Output: [1, 4, 9, 16, 25]

# Using lambda with filter
even_numbers = list(filter(lambda x: x % 2 == 0, numbers))
print(even_numbers)  # Output: [2, 4]

# Using lambda with reduce
from functools import reduce
product = reduce(lambda x, y: x * y, numbers)
print(product)  # Output: 120
```

### Lambda Function in PySpark

In PySpark, lambda functions are used in similar ways, especially with operations on RDDs. Here are some examples:

```python
from pyspark import SparkContext

sc = SparkContext("local", "example")

# Creating an RDD
rdd = sc.parallelize([1, 2, 3, 4, 5])

# Using lambda with map
squared_rdd = rdd.map(lambda x: x ** 2)
print(squared_rdd.collect())  # Output: [1, 4, 9, 16, 25]

# Using lambda with filter
even_rdd = rdd.filter(lambda x: x % 2 == 0)
print(even_rdd.collect())  # Output: [2, 4]

# Using lambda with reduce
product_rdd = rdd.reduce(lambda x, y: x * y)
print(product_rdd)  # Output: 120
```

In both Python and PySpark, lambda functions provide a concise and powerful way to perform operations on data, especially in contexts where defining a full function would be overkill.