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We should forget about small efficiencies, say about 97% of the time: premature optimization is the root of all evil. Yet we should not pass up our opportunities in that critical 3%
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
Small
Debugging
Forget
Premature
Evil
Efficiency
Opportunity
Root
Time
Opportunities
Critical
Pass
Efficiencies
Roots
Optimization
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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 best practice is inspired by theory.
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By understanding a machine-oriented language, the programmer will tend to use a much more efficient method it is much closer to reality.
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Random numbers should not be generated with a method chosen at random
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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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There's ways to amuse yourself while doing things and thats how I look at efficency.
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We should forget about small efficiencies, say about 97% of the time: premature optimization is the root of all evil.
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Beware of bugs in the above code I have only proved it correct, not tried it.
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Let us change our traditional attitude to the construction of programs. Instead of imagining that our main task is to instruct a computer what to do, let us concentrate rather on explaining to human beings what we want a computer to do.
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Computers are good at following instructions, but not at reading your mind.
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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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Programming is legitimate and necessary academic endeavour.
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I can’t go to a restaurant and order food because I keep looking at the fonts on the menu.
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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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Science is knowledge which we understand so well that we can teach it to a computer and if we don't fully understand something, it is an art to deal with it.
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Any inaccuracies in this index may be explained by the fact that it has been prepared with the help of a computer.
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I currently use Ubuntu Linux, on a standalone laptop - it has no Internet connection. I occasionally carry flash memory drives between this machine and the Macs that I use for network surfing and graphics but I trust my family jewels only to Linux.
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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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I've never been a good estimator of how long things are going to take.
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My general working style is to write everything first with pencil and paper, sitting beside a big wastebasket. Then I use Emacs to enter the text into my machine.
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