The traditional mathematician recognizes and appreciates mathematical elegance when he sees it. I propose to go one step further, and to consider elegance an essential ingredient of mathematics: if it is clumsy, it is not mathematics. — Edsger Dijkstra Copy Share Image
FORTRAN, the infantile disorder, by now nearly 20 years old, is hopelessly inadequate for whatever computer application you have in mind today: it is now too clumsy, too risky, and too expensive to use. — Edsger Dijkstra Copy Share Image
Production speed is severely slowed down if one works with half-time people who have other obligations as well. This is at least a factor… — Edsger Dijkstra Copy Share
The computing scientist's main challenge is not to get confused by the complexities of his own making. — Edsger Dijkstra Copy Share
Probably I am very naive, but I also think I prefer to remain so, at least for the time being and perhaps for the… — Edsger Dijkstra Copy Share
In the good old days physicists repeated each other's experiments, just to be sure. Today they stick to FORTRAN, so that they can share… — Edsger Dijkstra Copy Share
Don't compete with me: firstly, I have more experience, and secondly, I have chosen the weapons. — Edsger Dijkstra Copy Share
Computer science is no more about computers than astronomy is about telescopes. — Edsger Dijkstra Copy Share
The use of anthropomorphic terminology forces you linguistically to adopt an operational view. And it makes it practically impossible to argue about programs independently… — Edsger Dijkstra Copy Share
Teaching to unsuspecting youngsters the effective use of formal methods is one of the joys of life because it is so extremely rewarding. — Edsger Dijkstra Copy Share
Please don't fall into the trap of believing that I am terribly dogmatical about [the goto statement]. I have the uncomfortable feeling that others… — Edsger Dijkstra Copy Share
Several people have told me that my inability to suffer fools gladly is one of my main weaknesses. — Edsger Dijkstra Copy Share
I now have had my foggy crystal ball for quite a long time. Its predictions are invariably gloomy and usually correct, but I am… — Edsger Dijkstra Copy Share
In this respect a program is like a poem: you cannot write a poem without writing it. Yet people talk about programming as if… — Edsger Dijkstra Copy Share
About the use of language: it is impossible to sharpen a pencil with a blunt axe. It is equally vain to try to do… — Edsger Dijkstra Copy Share
