Donald Knuth

Computer Scientist

1938 –

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Who is Donald Knuth?

Donald Ervin Knuth is an American computer scientist, mathematician, and Professor Emeritus at Stanford University.

He is the author of the multi-volume work The Art of Computer Programming. Knuth has been called the "father" of the analysis of algorithms. He contributed to the development of the rigorous analysis of the computational complexity of algorithms and systematized formal mathematical techniques for it. In the process he also popularized the asymptotic notation. In addition to fundamental contributions in several branches of theoretical computer science, Knuth is the creator of the TeX computer typesetting system, the related METAFONT font definition language and rendering system, and the Computer Modern family of typefaces.

As a writer and scholar, Knuth created the WEB and CWEB computer programming systems designed to encourage and facilitate literate programming, and designed the MIX/MMIX instruction set architectures. As a member of the academic and scientific community, Knuth is strongly opposed to the policy of granting software patents.

Famous Quotes:

  • Beware of bugs in the above code; I have only proved it correct, not tried it
  • Science is what we understand well enough to explain to a computer. Art is everything else we do.
More Quotes by Donald Knuth »

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Born
Jan 10, 1938
Milwaukee
Also known as
  • Don Knuth
  • Donald Ervin Knuth
  • Donald E. Knuth
Spouses
Religion
  • Lutheranism
Nationality
  • United States of America
Profession
Education
  • Bachelor of Science, Case Institute of Technology
    (1956 - 1960)
  • Master of Science, Case Institute of Technology
    ( - 1960)
  • PhD, California Institute of Technology
    Mathematics
    (1960/09 - 1963/06)
Employment
  • Visiting Professor, Department of Computer Science, University of Oxford
  • Stanford University
    (1968 - 1992)
  • Burroughs Corporation
    (1960 - 1968)
  • Visiting Professor, University of Oxford
    (2002 - 2006)
  • Professor of the Art of Computer Programming, Stanford University
    (1993 - )
  • Professor of the Art of Computer Programming, Stanford University
    (1990 - 1992)
  • Professor of Computer Science, Stanford University
    (1977 - 1989)
  • Professor of Electrical Engineering, Stanford University
    (1977 - )
  • Guest Professor of Mathematics, University of Oslo
    (1972 - 1973)
  • Staff Mathematician, Institute for Defense Analyses
    (1968 - 1969)
Lived in
  • California
    (1960 - )

Submitted
on July 23, 2013

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