The best theory is inspired by practice. Donald Knuth More Quotes by Donald Knuth More Quotes From Donald Knuth Computer programming is an art, because it applies accumulated knowledge to the world, because it requires skill and ingenuity, and especially because it produces objects of beauty. A programmer who subconsciously views himself as an artist will enjoy what he does and will do it better. Donald Knuth skillsviewsart Programming is the art of telling another human being what one wants the computer to do. Donald Knuth computerwantart Computers are good at following instructions, but not at reading your mind. Donald Knuth following-instructionsfunny-inspirationalreading Random numbers should not be generated with a method chosen at random Donald Knuth methodshouldnumbers Everyday life is like programming, I guess. If you love something you can put beauty into it. Donald Knuth programminglife-is-likeeveryday An algorithm must be seen to be believed. Donald Knuth algorithmscomputer-scienceengineering Programs are meant to be read by humans and only incidentally for computers to execute. Donald Knuth programcomputerhumans Science is what we understand well enough to explain to a computer. Art is everything else we do. Donald Knuth mathscienceart If you find that you're spending almost all your time on theory, start turning some attention to practical things; it will improve your theories. If you find that you're spending almost all your time on practice, start turning some attention to theoretical things; it will improve your practice. Donald Knuth spendingpracticeattention 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. Donald Knuth ubuntujewelsmemories We should forget about small efficiencies, say about 97% of the time: premature optimization is the root of all evil. Donald Knuth learningrootsevil AI has by now succeeded in doing essentially everything that requires 'thinking' but has failed to do most of what people and animals do 'without thinking'-that, somehow, is much harder. Donald Knuth animalpeoplethinking Trees sprout up just about everywhere in computer science. Donald Knuth computer-sciencecomputertree Email is a wonderful thing for people whose role in life is to be on top of things. But not for me; my role is to be on the bottom of things. What I do takes long hours of studying and uninterruptible concentration. Donald Knuth roleslongpeople The best programs are written so that computing machines can perform them quickly and so that human beings can understand them clearly. A programmer is ideally an essayist who works with traditional aesthetic and literary forms as well as mathematical concepts, to communicate the way that an algorithm works and to convince a reader that the results will be correct. Donald Knuth algorithmsmachinesway The book Dynamic Programming by Richard Bellman is an important, pioneering work in which a group of problems is collected together at the end of some chapters under the heading "Exercises and Research Problems," with extremely trivial questions appearing in the midst of deep, unsolved problems. It is rumored that someone once asked Dr. Bellman how to tell the exercises apart from the research problems, and he replied: "If you can solve it, it is an exercise; otherwise it's a research problem." Donald Knuth importantexercisebook The whole thing that makes a mathematician’s life worthwhile is that he gets the grudging admiration of three or four colleagues. Donald Knuth admirationfourthree The best practice is inspired by theory. Donald Knuth best-practicesinspiredpractice If you optimize everything, you will always be unhappy. Donald Knuth unhappinessunhappyifs 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 rootsevilopportunity
