What do you think?
Rate this book
Art of Computer Programming
The Art of Computer Programming, Volume 4, Fascicle 0: Introduction to Combinatorial Algorithms and Boolean Functions
Finally, after a wait of more than thirty-five years, the first part of Volume 4 is at last ready for publication. Check out the boxed set that brings together Volumes 1 - 4A in one elegant case, and offers the purchaser a $50 discount off the price of buying the four volumes individually. The Art of Computer Programming, Volumes 1-4A Boxed Set, 3/e ISBN: 0321751043 Art of Computer Programming, Volume 4, Fascicle 0, The: Introduction to Combinatorial Algorithms and Boolean Functions: Introduction to Combinatorial Algorithms and Boolean Functions 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 at regular intervals. Each fascicle will encompass a section or more of wholly new or revised 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 4, Fascicle 0
This fascicle introduces what will become by far the longest chapter in "The Art of Computer Programming," a chapter on combinatorial algorithms that will itself fill three full-sized volumes. Combinatorial algorithms, informally, are techniques for the high-speed manipulation of extremely large quantities of objects, such as permutations or the elements of graphs. Combinatorial patterns or arrangements solve vast numbers of practical problems, and modern approaches to dealing with them often lead to methods that are more than a thousand times faster than the straightforward procedures of yesteryear. This fascicle primes the pump for everything that follows in the chapter, discussing first the essential ideas of combinatorics and then introducing fundamental ideas for dealing efficiently with 0s and 1s inside a machine, including Boolean basics and Boolean function evaluation. As always, the author s exposition is enhanced by hundreds of new exercises, arranged carefully for self-instruction, together with detailed answers.
"
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 at regular intervals. Each fascicle will encompass a section or more of wholly new or revised 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 4, Fascicle 0
This fascicle introduces what will become by far the longest chapter in "The Art of Computer Programming," a chapter on combinatorial algorithms that will itself fill three full-sized volumes. Combinatorial algorithms, informally, are techniques for the high-speed manipulation of extremely large quantities of objects, such as permutations or the elements of graphs. Combinatorial patterns or arrangements solve vast numbers of practical problems, and modern approaches to dealing with them often lead to methods that are more than a thousand times faster than the straightforward procedures of yesteryear. This fascicle primes the pump for everything that follows in the chapter, discussing first the essential ideas of combinatorics and then introducing fundamental ideas for dealing efficiently with 0s and 1s inside a machine, including Boolean basics and Boolean function evaluation. As always, the author s exposition is enhanced by hundreds of new exercises, arranged carefully for self-instruction, together with detailed answers.
"
216 pages, Paperback
First published April 27, 2008
4 people are currently reading
399 people want to read
About the author
Donald Ervin Knuth
107 books717 followersDonald 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.
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.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 of 1 review
July 29, 2008
Amazon 2008-07-05. See Volume 4, Fascimile 3 for my comments.
Oh man, if he ever gets volume 4 done, it'll be a barnburner (at 3 bound books in and of itself, a hefty barnburner). Working through the text at nights over the past two weeks has been awesome, as pure and thrilling a CS experience as I've had since Complexity and Real Computation many months ago. Now for a month or so dedicated to the exercises; I fully expect to emerge a greater programmer than I go in. I'm happy to report, folks, that The Greatest of All Time hasn't lost a stride -- indeed, he's perhaps only now finding his groove. I stand by my prediction that Volumes 5-7 will never be seen; if we can get a 4 in all the magnificence hinted at by this preprint, it'll immediately be a new Great Work in computer science and more than we could ask.
Oh man, if he ever gets volume 4 done, it'll be a barnburner (at 3 bound books in and of itself, a hefty barnburner). Working through the text at nights over the past two weeks has been awesome, as pure and thrilling a CS experience as I've had since Complexity and Real Computation many months ago. Now for a month or so dedicated to the exercises; I fully expect to emerge a greater programmer than I go in. I'm happy to report, folks, that The Greatest of All Time hasn't lost a stride -- indeed, he's perhaps only now finding his groove. I stand by my prediction that Volumes 5-7 will never be seen; if we can get a 4 in all the magnificence hinted at by this preprint, it'll immediately be a new Great Work in computer science and more than we could ask.
Displaying 1 of 1 review