Donald Knuth

Background and Achievements
– Donald Knuth is an American computer scientist and mathematician.
– He was born on January 10, 1938, in Milwaukee, Wisconsin.
– Knuth is a professor emeritus at Stanford University.
– He received the ACM Turing Award in 1974, considered the Nobel Prize of computer science.
– Knuth is known as the father of the analysis of algorithms.
– He developed the concept of ‘big-O’ notation to describe algorithm complexity.
– Knuth’s algorithms and data structures have had a significant impact on computer science.
– Knuth’s work has helped establish the field of algorithmic analysis.
– Knuth has received numerous awards and honors, including the Turing Award.

Writing and Publications
– Knuth is the author of ‘The Art of Computer Programming,’ a comprehensive series on computer programming.
– He aimed to provide a clear and accurate account of computer science, which he believed was lacking at the time.
– Knuth has written about topics such as typesetting, surreal numbers, and Bible texts.
– He is known for his attention to detail and rigorous approach to writing.
– Knuth’s publications have become essential references in the field of computer science.

Impact on Education and Research
– Knuth has had a profound impact on computer science education.
– His books are widely used as textbooks in universities and colleges.
– Knuth’s emphasis on mathematical rigor has influenced the teaching of algorithms.
– He has mentored numerous students and researchers in the field.
– Knuth’s contributions have helped advance the understanding and practice of computer science.

Personal Life and Interests
– Knuth is known for his unique personal style, including his choice to wear T-shirts with mathematical symbols.
– He is an avid organ player and has composed music for the pipe organ.
– Knuth has a passion for storytelling and often incorporates anecdotes into his lectures.
– He is a strong advocate for open-source software and against software patents.
– Knuth has faced health challenges, including a battle with cancer, but continues to be active in his work.

Awards and Honors
– Knuth received the ACM Grace Murray Hopper Award in 1971.
– He is a recipient of the Turing Award, National Medal of Science, John von Neumann Medal, and Kyoto Prize.
– Knuth has received the Society for Industrial and Applied Mathematics Low Award in 2009.
– He is a member of the Norwegian Academy of Science and Letters and the American Mathematical Society.
– Knuth is also a fellow of the American Mathematical Society and a member of the American Philosophical Society.

Donald Knuth (Wikipedia)

Donald Ervin Knuth (/kəˈnuːθ/ kə-NOOTH; born January 10, 1938) is an American computer scientist and mathematician. He is a professor emeritus at Stanford University. He is the 1974 recipient of the ACM Turing Award, informally considered the Nobel Prize of computer science. Knuth has been called the "father of the analysis of algorithms".

Donald Knuth
Knuth in 2011
Born	Donald Ervin Knuth (1938-01-10) January 10, 1938 (age 85) Milwaukee, Wisconsin, U.S.
Education	Case Institute of Technology (BS, MS) California Institute of Technology (PhD)
Known for	See list The Art of Computer Programming TeX, METAFONT, Computer Modern Knuth's up-arrow notation Knuth–Morris–Pratt algorithm Knuth–Bendix completion algorithm MMIX Robinson–Schensted–Knuth correspondence LR parser Literate programming
Spouse	Nancy Jill Carter
Children	2
Awards	See list SIGCSE Outstanding Contribution (1986) Grace Murray Hopper Award (1971) Turing Award (1974) Member of the National Academy of Sciences (1975) National Medal of Science (1979) John von Neumann Medal (1995) Harvey Prize (1995) Kyoto Prize (1996) Foreign Member of the Royal Society (2003) Faraday Medal (2011) BBVA Foundation Frontiers of Knowledge Award (2010) Turing Lecture (2011) Flajolet Lecture (2014)
Scientific career
Fields	Mathematics Computer science
Institutions	Stanford University University of Oslo
Thesis	Finite Semifields and Projective Planes (1963)
Doctoral advisor	Marshall Hall, Jr.
Doctoral students	Leonidas J. Guibas Michael Fredman Scott Kim Vaughan Pratt Robert Sedgewick Jeffrey Vitter Andrei Broder
Website	cs.stanford.edu/~knuth

Knuth is the author of the multi-volume work The Art of Computer Programming. He contributed to the development of the rigorous analysis of the computational complexity of algorithms and systematized formal mathematical techniques for it. In the process, he also popularized the asymptotic notation. In addition to fundamental contributions in several branches of theoretical computer science, Knuth is the creator of the TeX computer typesetting system, the related METAFONT font definition language and rendering system, and the Computer Modern family of typefaces.

As a writer and scholar, Knuth created the WEB and CWEB computer programming systems designed to encourage and facilitate literate programming, and designed the MIX/MMIX instruction set architectures. He strongly opposes the granting of software patents, and has expressed his opinion to the United States Patent and Trademark Office and European Patent Organisation.