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Computers are good at following instructions, but not at reading your mind.

Donald Knuth

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Donald Knuth
Age: 86
Born: 1938
Born: January 10
Academic
Computer Scientist
Engineer
Historian Of Mathematics
Mathematician
Programmer
University Teacher
Writer
Milwaukee City
Wisconsin
Donald E. Knuth
Don Knuth
Donald Ervin Knuth
D.E.K.
DEK
Knuth
Reading
Mind
Instructions
Good
Computing
Computers
Instruction
Programming
Following
Computer

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I define UNIX as 30 definitions of regular expressions living under one roof.
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People who are more than casually interested in computers should have at least some idea of what the underlying hardware is like. Otherwise the programs they write will be pretty weird.
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The designer of a new kind of system must participate fully in the implementation.
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I have a hunch that the unknown sequences of DNA will decode into copyright notices and patent protections.
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Random numbers should not be generated with a method chosen at random
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I decry the current tendency to seek patents on algorithms. There are better ways to earn a living than to prevent other people from making use of one's contributions to computer science.
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There's ways to amuse yourself while doing things and thats how I look at efficency.
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I think people who write programs do have at least a glimmer of extra insight into the nature of God... because creating a program often means that you have to create a small universe
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A mathematical formula should never be owned by anybody! Mathematics belong to God.
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People think that computer science is the art of geniuses but the actual reality is the opposite, just many people doing things that build on each other, like a wall of mini stones.
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It would be nice if we could design a virtual reality in Hyperbolic Space, and meet each other there.
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I try to learn certain areas of computer science exhaustively then I try to digest that knowledge into a form that is accessible to people who don't have time for such study.
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The most important thing in the programming language is the name. A language will not succeed without a good name. I have recently invented a very good name and now I am looking for a suitable language.
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An algorithm must be seen to be believed.
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In fact, my main conclusion after spending ten years of my life working on the TEX project is that software is hard. It's harder than anything else I've ever had to do.
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How can you own numbers? Numbers belong to the world.
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My first program taught me a lot about the errors that I was going to be making in the future, and also about how to find errors. That's sort of the story of my life, making errors and trying to recover from them. I try to get things correct. I probably obsess about not making too many mistakes.
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Science is what we understand well enough to explain to a computer. Art is everything else we do.
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The psychological profiling [of a programmer] is mostly the ability to shift levels of abstraction, from low level to high level. To see something in the small and to see something in the large.
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The enjoyment of one's tools is an essential ingredient of successful work.
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