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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.

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
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More quotes by Donald Knuth

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I'm obsessively detail-oriented.
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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%
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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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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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The sun comes up just about as often as it goes down, in the long run, but this doesn't make its motion random.
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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 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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Computers are good at following instructions, but not at reading your mind.
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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 manuals we got from IBM would show examples of programs and I knew I could do a heck of a lot better than that. So I thought I might have some talent.
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The best theory is inspired by practice.
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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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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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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've never been a good estimator of how long things are going to take.
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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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I can’t go to a restaurant and order food because I keep looking at the fonts on the menu.
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There's ways to amuse yourself while doing things and thats how I look at efficency.
Donald Knuth