Planetarion Forums - Anyone read the Art of Computer Programming?

Jester · 3 Nov 2002, 00:04

Just a bit curious, watched a lecture Donald Knuth gave at my Uni this summer the other day and it was pretty interesting. He does seem somewhat of a Carmack in the field.

Jester

Jester · 3 Nov 2002, 04:25

University of Oslo. Think he was here receiving an honorary doctorate (I think, may be remembering wrong) and attending a memorial for Ole Johan Dahl (one of the two creators of Simula67).

Jester

Gayle29uk · 3 Nov 2002, 14:03

Unfortunately he never got past volume 2 but if you don't have copies of both volumes and you want to be a programmer of some kind I seriously suggest getting them.

As far as computer science is concerned, Knuth IS God

Jester · 3 Nov 2002, 16:05

Quote:

Originally posted by Gayle28uk
Unfortunately he never got past volume 2 but if you don't have copies of both volumes and you want to be a programmer of some kind I seriously suggest getting them.

um. Yes he did.

Jester

Gayle29uk · 3 Nov 2002, 18:22

Ok, so he got as far as volume 3 while I wasn't looking

MT · 4 Nov 2002, 10:48

I've only read volumes 1 and 3, I found them very dry and very mathsy. If thats your bag, then go for it. Theres no doubting that Knuth is in fact the Daddy, just that these books are verrrry technical. If you are a programmer, don't bother getting them.

Yes, I distinguish between programmer and Computer Scientist. Unfortunately, I am neither :/

8 Nov 2002, 04:02

too bad that the examples in the book are.. well.. you know

Gayle29uk · 8 Nov 2002, 07:05

Quote:

Originally posted by decoy
too bad that the examples in the book are.. well.. you know

...written in a Meta-language?

At least it means they're still usable even after all these years

10 Nov 2002, 20:15

Quote:

Originally posted by Gayle28uk

...written in a Meta-language?

At least it means they're still usable even after all these years

Yes, it does. I'm not saying it's a bad idea. Infact it's quite understandable, when it's a work that has survived so many years. But a imaginary assembly-language for a hypothetical platform.. well.. it's a tad obscure

Gayle29uk · 10 Nov 2002, 22:17

Quote:

Originally posted by decoy

Yes, it does. I'm not saying it's a bad idea. Infact it's quite understandable, when it's a work that has survived so many years. But a imaginary assembly-language for a hypothetical platform.. well.. it's a tad obscure

Obscure...I'll happily concede that