Slashdot Mirror

← Back to Stories (view on slashdot.org)

Knuth's Volume IV Preview Available Online

Posted by timothy on from the use-the-powerful-glasses dept.

ahto writes: "The first section of volume 4 of Knuth's The Art of Computer Programming is available for peer review (and the $2.56 finder's fee for every typo is still there :)." Knuth's series-in-progress made a lot of people's lists when it came to assembling the perfect collection of library books for computer science; now you have a chance to make the next one better. If you can find any mistakes, that is.

16 of 273 comments (clear)

  1. Knuth Books and software patents !! by Khalid · · Score: 3, Funny

    Knuth books are the material proof that software patents are stupid. I mean 99% of what you need to create a software is in Knuth Books; every useful algorithme, sorting, searching, tables look up, indexing methods are there, all the basic.

    It's the proof that nearly everything has been said in that field, and patenting software is in fact patenting "the function" and not "the organ" !

  2. Cool by NightmareDNS · · Score: 1, Funny

    Hmm, 2.56 per error. Guess I'll get to reading!

    --
    NightmareDNS =)
  3. I agree by mefus · · Score: 3, Funny

    The material in Knuth's books is trivial compared to a one-click button. Now that's genius!!!

    --
    mefus
    In Open Society, GPL Software frees YOU!
  4. Re:Interesting Metric by Eldie · · Score: 3, Funny

    In my opinion, you are a stroker.

  5. Re:For a moment there... by Pinball+Wizard · · Score: 1, Funny
    If the first edition is the Old Testament, and the second edition is the New Testament, then the third -might- be called the Book of Mormon...then what would be the fourth edition?

    The Unabomber's Manifesto!

    --

    No, Thursday's out. How about never - is never good for you?

  6. Coming soon... by chinton · · Score: 2, Funny
    In a effort to keep up with the sludge that is released every day. Dr. Knuth has annouced the following for immediate release:
    • The Art of Computer Programming for Dummies.
    • The Art of Computer Programming: From the Ground Up. (with Herbert Shildt)
    • MAXIMUM STRENGTH! TAOCP
    Seriously, though. Thank you, Doctor, for taking the time to get it right.
  7. Re:How do I view it? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1, Funny
    text? Text? You want ascii text? My God, you are a heretic. Here's an author who essentially took a multi year sabattical to write a absolutely beautiful type system--TeX-- and here you are, asking if there's a text version...

    Yeah dude, show a little respect. Knuth's powers of procrastination are utterly unrivaled.

  8. It Does Exist! by rhysweatherley · · Score: 3, Funny

    Man, all this time I thought volume 4 was an urban legend.

  9. no subject by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0, Funny

    and the $2.56 finder's fee for every typo is still there


    So if CmdrTaco wrote it, we would all be rich.

  10. Finder fee? by PopeAlien · · Score: 5, Funny

    (and the $2.56 finder's fee for every typo is still there :)."

    Man! I wish that was availiable for Slashdot.. I'd be rich!

    --
    air and light and time and space
    1. Re:Finder fee? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Funny

      Man! I wish that was availiable for Slashdot.. I'd be rich!

      You don't get paid for any typos that you make yourself.

  11. Forth edition? by Dungbutter · · Score: 3, Funny

    I am so happy to see new books being written about the Forth programming language, and by Knuth no less!
    I was begining to worry that Forth was a dead language.

    (Score:-1, Really Bad Pun)

  12. Re:Interesting Metric by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 3, Funny

    If you haven't read Proust, you aren't an English professor.
    If you haven't eaten escargot, you're not a chef.
    If you haven't fixed a D'Lorean, you're not a mechanic.
    If you haven't killed a man, you're not a soldier.
    If you haven't run a marathon, you're not an athlete.
    If you don't meet my arbitrary standards, you're not what you say you are.
    Sheesh...

  13. Re:knuth is how old? by jon_c · · Score: 3, Funny

    he's 0x003F years old.

    or 63 for the hexaphobic

    -Jon

    --
    this is my sig.
  14. And it's filled with h4cKz+cr4kz! by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1, Funny

    Black hat Knuth! Woo hoo... I mena W00 H00!

  15. Oops... in the intro already! by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0, Funny

    At the end of the preface ("page -4"):

    ... (And if you find an better solution to an exercise...

    Cha-ching! I hope whoever gets the $2.56 invests it wisely ;).

    Knuth came to speak at my school (the University of Waterloo Pascal lecture series) last year; he was a very interesting speaker and fielded questions quite capably. It wasn't a computer science talk per se, but was very interesting... my idea of a really big number from now on will be "super-K" :).

    - czth