Biography
Donald Knuth
- Born
- 10 January 1938
- Nationality
- American
- Known for
- The Art of Computer Programming, The TeX typesetting system
Donald Knuth did more than almost anyone to turn programming from a craft into a science. His life’s work, The Art of Computer Programming, is a series of books he began in the 1960s and is still writing, and it treats the design and analysis of algorithms with the rigour of pure mathematics. To a generation of computer scientists it is simply known as “Knuth”, and a cheque from him for finding an error in it is a prized trophy.
Two ideas run through his influence. The first is that you can reason precisely about how much time and space an algorithm needs, rather than just measuring it, and Knuth gave the field the tools and notation to do so. The second is craft: he cares deeply about doing things properly, an attitude he calls literate programming, where code is written to be read by people as much as run by machines.
His perfectionism produced a second landmark. Frustrated by the ugly typesetting of his own books, Knuth spent years building TeX, a system for setting mathematics and text with precision. It became the standard for scientific publishing and remains in heavy use. He received the Turing Award in 1974.
Frequently asked
What is Donald Knuth known for?
He is best known for The Art of Computer Programming, a multi-volume work that put the analysis of algorithms on a rigorous footing, and for creating TeX, the typesetting system used across mathematics and science.
What is The Art of Computer Programming?
It is a series of books, begun in the 1960s and still being written, that treats algorithms and data structures with mathematical rigour. It is one of the most respected works in computer science and helped make the field a science rather than a craft.
Why did Knuth create TeX?
He was unhappy with the poor typesetting of his own books, so he built TeX to set mathematics and text beautifully and consistently. It became the standard tool for scientific publishing and is still widely used today.