We should forget about small efficiencies, say about 97% of the time: premature optimization is the root of all evil. Yet we should not pass up our opportunities in that critical 3% — Donald Knuth Copy Share Image
Programmers waste enormous amounts of time thinking about, or worrying about, the speed of noncritical parts of their programs, and these attempts at efficiency actually have a strong negative impact when debugging and maintenance are considered. We should forget about… — Donald Knuth Copy Share Image
I'll never know everything. My life would be a lot worse if there was nothing I knew the answers about - and if there… — Donald Knuth Copy Share Image
“Nearly every example of faulty reasoning that has been published is accompanied by the phrase "of course" or its equivalent.” — Donald Knuth Copy Share Image
[The Euclidean algorithm is] the granddaddy of all algorithms, because it is the oldest nontrivial algorithm that has survived to the present day. — Donald Knuth Copy Share Image
The process of preparing programs for a digital computer is especially attractive, not only because it can economically and scientifically rewarding, but also because… — Donald Knuth Copy Share Image
When certain concepts of TeX are introduced informally, general rules will be stated; afterwards you will find that the rules aren't strictly true. In… — Donald Knuth Copy Share Image
In fact, my main conclusion after spending ten years of my life working on the TEX project is that software is hard. It's harder… — Donald Knuth Copy Share Image
Any inaccuracies in this index may be explained by the fact that it has been prepared with the help of a computer. — Donald Knuth Copy Share Image
My first program taught me a lot about the errors that I was going to be making in the future, and also about how… — Donald Knuth Copy Share Image
It would be nice if we could design a virtual reality in Hyperbolic Space, and meet each other there. — Donald Knuth Copy Share Image
I have a hunch that the unknown sequences of DNA will decode into copyright notices and patent protections. — Donald Knuth Copy Share Image
Computers are good at following instructions, but not at reading your mind. — Donald Knuth Copy Share Image