There are many people in Computer Science that I revere, and that is Donald Knuth, professor and author of the must read The Art of Computer Programming. This book, first written in 1968, is still incomplete, and most recently Volume 4A on Combinatorial Aglorithms was released back in 2017. This set of books, along with the Dragon Book, are some of my favorites to read now and again.

Last year, he gave an interview to the NY Times, calling him the Yoda of Silicon Valley. It’s a very good article where he talks about his career in depth, and how the Art of Computer Programming is still 25 years off from finishing. It’s a must read if you really want to get to know who Donald Knuth really is.

What struck me was the following quote from him about algorithms and their influence.

“I am worried that algorithms are getting too prominent in the world,” he added. “It started out that computer scientists were worried nobody was listening to us. Now I’m worried that too many people are listening.”

Donald Knuth is known also for giving lectures several times a year at Stanford. Luckily for us, they are available via Stanford University on YouTube on the Donald Knuth Lectures playlist. Currently, there are 111 videos to watch, with of course a bit of focus on TeX and its internals. They’re great viewing, especially if you’re trying to wind down an evening!