Description
Book SynopsisThis anthology of essays from the inventor of literate programming is a survey of Donald Knuth's papers on computer science. Donald Knuth's influence in computer science ranges from the invention of literate programming to the development of the TeX programming language. One of the foremost figures in the field of mathematical sciences, his papers are widely referenced and stand as milestones of development over a wide range of topics. This collection focuses on Professor Knuth's published science papers that serve as accessible surveys of their subject matter. It includes articles on the history of computing, algorithms, numerical techniques, computational models, typesetting, and more. This book will be appreciated by students and researchers from a wide range of areas within computer science and mathematics.
Trade Review'This book should be a necessary asset of any library dealing with Computer Science and related subjects, representing a major piece of culture in Computer Science. Every reader will acquire a sound understanding of the foundation for some key issues in the field ... Knuth is a grand scientific author, whose dissertations on deep and abstract issues are lively and captivating pieces of reading.' David Rozier, Mathematics Today
'This book contains everything Knuth has written on computer science for the non-specialist ... It is a lovely read. What - in sum - can one say, of our delightful discipline and of this delightful book? Enjoy.' Adrian Larner, The Computer Journal
Table of Contents1. Von Neumann's first computer program; 2. Ancient Babylonian algorithms; 3. George Forsythe and the development of computer science; 4. Computer science and its relation to mathematics; 5. Algorithms; 6. Mathematics and computer science: Coping with finiteness; 7. Algorithms in modern mathematics and computer science; 8. The IBM 650: an appreciation from the field; 9. Theory and practice; 10. Algorithm and program; information and data; 11. Are toy problems useful?; 12. Theory and practice; 13. Algorithmic themes; 14. Typesetting concrete mathematics; 15. Computer programming and computer science; 16. This week's citation classic: artistic programming.
