The Art of Computer Programming, Volume 1, Fascicle 1: MMIX -- A RISC Computer for the New Millennium

Art of Computer Programming

by Donald Ervin Knuth

Check out the boxed set that brings together Volumes 1 - 4B in one elegant case.   The Art of Computer Programming, Volumes 1-4B Boxed Set 9780137935109   Art of Computer Programming, Volume 1, Fascicle 1, MMIX -- A RISC Computer for the New Millennium   This multivolume work on the analysis of algorithms has long been recognized as the definitive description of classical computer science. The three complete volumes published to date already comprise a unique and invaluable resource in programming theory and practice. Countless readers have spoken about the profound personal influence of Knuth's writings. Scientists have marveled at the beauty and elegance of his analysis, while practicing programmers have successfully applied his "cookbook" solutions to their day-to-day problems. All have admired Knuth for the breadth, clarity, accuracy, and good humor found in his books. To begin the fourth and later volumes of the set, and to update parts of the existing three, Knuth has created a series of small books called fascicles, which will be published t regular intervals. Each fascicle will encompass a section or more of wholly new or evised material. Ultimately, the content of these fascicles will be rolled up into the comprehensive, final versions of each volume, and the enormous undertaking that began in 1962 will be complete.   Volume 1, Fascicle 1 This first fascicle updates The Art of Computer Programming, Volume 1, Third Fundamental Algorithms , and ultimately will become part of the fourth edition of that book. Specifically, it provides a programmer's introduction to the long-awaited MMIX, a RISC-based computer that replaces the original MIX, and describes the MMIX assembly language. The fascicle also presents new material on subroutines, coroutines, and interpretive routines.   Ebook (PDF version) produced by Mathematical Sciences Publishers (MSP),

Genres: Computer Science, Computers, Reference, Programming, Engineering, Science, Algorithms

134 pages, Paperback

First published February 9, 2005

About the author

Donald Ervin Knuth, born January 10th 1938, is a renowned computer scientist and Professor Emeritus of the Art of Computer Programming at Stanford University.

Author of the seminal multi-volume work The Art of Computer Programming ("TAOCP"), Knuth has been called the "father" of the analysis of algorithms, contributing to the development of, and systematizing formal mathematical techniques for, the rigorous analysis of the computational complexity of algorithms, and in the process popularizing 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.

A prolific writer and scholar, Knuth created the WEB/CWEB computer programming systems designed to encourage and facilitate literate programming, and designed the MMIX instruction set architecture.

Reviews

[Alex · Rating 4 out of 5]

Donald Knuth wrote (and still is writing) his magnum opus, coding all the algorithms in assembly code, since he knew that programming languages would come and go, and he would have to rewrite his books. He was right about that.

However, his original hypothetical processor dated over 40 years, and he now uses a 'modern' hypothetical processor, which sort of countered the reason of writing out his algorithms in assembly language in the first place.

Supposedly writing out the algorithms in a modern programming language (whether modern means 1967 or 2017 or 2067) is left as an exercise for the reader.

[Taneli · Rating 5 out of 5]

After having read through Volume 1 (3rd. ed.) I wanted to update my understanding on general assembly languages, which this fascicle does pretty well. The MMIX computer is quite easy to wrap one's head around, unlike the original MIX computer, which dealt with strange concepts from the eyes of a 21st century computer science student. Even though it is short, it is by no means a light read, since the MIXAL code within requires careful study, and there's quite a lot of MIXAL within.