For Donald Knuth, good coding is synonymous with beautiful expression (quantamagazine.org)

Article summary

Donald Knuth, a renowned computer scientist, has spent his life telling stories with and about computer programs. He is known for his magnum opus, The Art of Computer Programming, a seven-volume set that he began writing in 1962 and is still working on. Knuth's work also includes the development of TeX, a sophisticated program for digital typography. He believes that good coding is synonymous with beautiful expression and that the best way to communicate is through storytelling.

Main themes

• computer science education
• algorithms and programming
• technical writing and storytelling
• language and notation
• personal experiences and anecdotes
• trade-offs in programming languages and tools

What commenters say

• Some commenters find Knuth's books, particularly The Art of Computer Programming, to be a valuable resource for learning about algorithms and computer science, despite being dense and technical.
• Others disagree, stating that the books are not suitable for beginners and that the use of MIX/MMIX pseudocode is unnecessary and confusing.
• There is a debate about the usefulness of pseudocode versus actual machine code in educational texts, with some arguing that pseudocode is easier to understand and others claiming that it obscures important details.
• The discussion also touches on the importance of storytelling and history in technical texts, with some commenters appreciating Knuth's approach and others finding it unnecessary.
• Some commenters share their personal experiences with Knuth's work, including using his books to learn about algorithms and programming.
• There is also a discussion about the trade-offs between different programming languages and tools, such as MATLAB and Python, in terms of their suitability for various tasks and audiences.