10/01/2016
Featured Article of the Month:
Donald Knuth is an American computer scientist, mathematician, and professor emeritus at Stanford University. He has been called the "father of the analysis of algorithms". 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.
In 1971, Knuth was the recipient of the first ACM Grace Murray Hopper Award. He has received various other awards including the Turing Award, the National Medal of Science, the John von Neumann Medal, and the Kyoto Prize.
He received the Turing Award is 1974 for his major contributions to the analysis of algorithms and the design of programming languages, and in particular for his contributions to the "art of computer programming" through his well-known books in a continuous series by this title.
Arguably, the books established analysis of algorithms as a computer science topic in its own right. Knuth has stated that developing analysis of algorithms as an academic subject is his proudest achievement. Knuth is well-known for his perfectionism, and offers to pay $2.56 for each error found in TAOCP books. Finding one confers prestige on the discoverer, many of whom frame and display the hand-signed check rather than cashing it.
Today happens to be his birthday. CSS, NITS extends warm greetings to this great man on this wonderful occasion.