Distributed for Center for the Study of Language and Information
Selected Papers on Computer Science
This still timely collection of papers by Donald Knuth, "the father of computer science," surveys the field of computer science and the nature of algorithms. Topics covered here include the relationship between computer science and mathematics, the connections between theory and practice, and the known limitations on what can be computed in a reasonable amount of time. Additionally, Knuth discusses the history of computer science from ancient Babylon through today.
Particularly clear and accessible, these essays were written for a general audience rather than specialists in computer science. They are thus a valuable resource for not only computer scientists but for anyone interested in the history of this fascinating field.
Particularly clear and accessible, these essays were written for a general audience rather than specialists in computer science. They are thus a valuable resource for not only computer scientists but for anyone interested in the history of this fascinating field.
Table of Contents
0 Algorithms, Programs, and Computer Science
1 Computer Science and its Relation to Mathematics
2 Mathematics and Computer Science: Coping with Finiteness
3 Algorithms
4 Algorithms in Modern Mathematics and Computer Science
5 Algorithmic Themes
6 Theory and Practice, I
7 Theory and Practice, II
8 Theory and Practice, III
9 Theory and Practice, IV
10 Are Toy Problems Useful?
11 Ancient Babylonian Algorithms
12 Von Neumann’s First Computer Program
13 The IBM 650: An Appreciation from the Field
14 Artistic Programming
15 Speech in St. Petersburg
16 George Forsythe and the Development of Computer Science
Index