Contents
Donald Knuth
Writing The Art of Computer Programming and creating the TeX typesetting system.
The Art of Computer Programming · TeX
- Born
- 10 January 1938
- Birthplace
- Milwaukee, United States
More people
Donald Knuth
Knuth helped turn computer programming into a subject of rigorous mathematical study. His books examine how algorithms work, while his typesetting software transformed the presentation of scientific writing.
Early life
An early computer
Encountered the IBM 650 while studying at the Case Institute of Technology.
From physics to mathematics
Changed subjects at Case and completed a mathematics doctorate at Caltech in 1963.
Career
- 1963
Caltech faculty
Began teaching while also working on compilers and an ambitious programming book.
- 1969
Stanford career
Joined Stanford’s computer science faculty.
- 1993
Focus on writing
Became emeritus to concentrate on The Art of Computer Programming.
Contributions
The Art of Computer Programming
Published the first volume of his influential series on algorithms.
TeX
Released an early version of the typesetting system developed to improve his books.
Literate programming
Explained a way to write programs as works that communicate ideas to human readers.
Beyond computing
Music
Plays the organ and has composed music, including the multimedia work Fantasia Apocalyptica.
Faith and scholarship
His book 3:16 combined biblical study with his interest in sampling and typography.
Sources & photo credit
Life, career and references ↗Institutional biography and contributions ↗Photo: Alex Handy. CC BY-SA 2.0 · Original image. Cropped and displayed in monochrome.
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