4 ms·

Donald E. Knuth: An Oral History (2018) [video]

173 points by bsilvereagle 8y ago

bsilvereagle 8y ago
Transcript: https://stacks.stanford.edu/file/druid:jq248bz8097/jq248bz8097_SC0932_s5_Knuth_script.pdf?download=true https://stacks.stanford.edu/file/druid:jq248bz8097/jq248bz80...
- simonebrunozzi 8y ago
  Gulp. 177 pages. A book.
  - blihp 8y ago
    You expected anything less from Knuth?
    - mathattack 8y ago
      It’s a wonder it didn’t take a decade or two to come out!
svat 8y ago
This is in fact one of several oral histories that Knuth has done over the last few years: * 2001, 2 hours audio (http://purl.umn.edu/96227 http://purl.umn.edu/96227), 27-page transcript (https://conservancy.umn.edu/handle/11299/107413 https://conservancy.umn.edu/handle/11299/107413) (partial I guess?) * 2006, Web of Stories, 7.5 hours video in 97 short parts https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLVV0r6CmEsFzeNLngr1JqyQki3wdoGrCn https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLVV0r6CmEsFzeNLngr1Jq... , transcript (https://github.com/kragen/knuth-interview-2006 https://github.com/kragen/knuth-interview-2006) * 2007, interview by Ed Feigenbaum, 3 hours (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Wp7GAKLSGnI https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Wp7GAKLSGnI) + 4 hours (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gqPPll3uDa0 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gqPPll3uDa0), 73-page transcript (https://archive.computerhistory.org/resources/access/text/2013/05/102658053-05-01-acc.pdf https://archive.computerhistory.org/resources/access/text/20...) * 2018, this one (https://purl.stanford.edu/jq248bz8097 https://purl.stanford.edu/jq248bz8097), about 4.5 hours, 177-page transcript (but 50 pages of those are Knuth's CV!) * 2018, by the Computer History Museum, 1.5 hours, specifically about the earliest programs he wrote as an undergrad when he first encountered computers (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q9JOrmgHw28 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q9JOrmgHw28): the programs themselves are here: https://www.computerhistory.org/collections/search/?s=X8738.2019 https://www.computerhistory.org/collections/search/?s=X8738.... (in machine language / assembly) I've watched the Web of Stories one fully (and the others not yet fully)… they are a delight. You can see the way his mind works, and he's someone whose career has spanned basically the entirety of computer science as a separate academic discipline.
janvdberg 8y ago
Speaking about Knuth audiofiles, I recently created a RSS feed for the Knuth's "Things a Computer Scientist Rarely Talks About" audio files (https://j11g.com/knuth.xml https://j11g.com/knuth.xml). This way you can listen to it in your favorite podcast player. For example, I added the feed to Overcast: https://overcast.fm/p1120847-YM0aS7 https://overcast.fm/p1120847-YM0aS7
- hart_russell 8y ago
  Thank you!I look forward to listening. To those of you who use the default podcasts app on iPhone: 1. Go to the library tab 2. Tap the edit button 3. Select "Add a Podcast by URL..." 4. Paste the xml link above
- contr-error 8y ago
  Thanks, very convenient! I assume there's no video of these lectures? I've listened up to the 3rd lecture and it seems that one and especially the fourth one (artwork) would benefit from video.
ggm 8y ago
potrzebie?
- teddyh 8y ago
  Context: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Potrzebie#System_of_measurement https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Potrzebie#System_of_measuremen...
  - ggm 8y ago
    Halva!
winter_blue 8y ago
I'm hoping he releases his books under CC, or into the public domain. On that note, are there excerpts or small parts of TAOCP available anywhere online for free?
- svat 8y ago
  Everything Knuth has written for TAOCP after Volume 3 (over the last dozen years or so), amounting to all of Volume 4A (published as a ~900-page book) and about two-thirds of Volume 4B (yet to be published), is basically available online in draft form (very close to the final published version though of course Knuth being Knuth there may be many very minor changes), from his website, or more conveniently collected here: http://www.cs.utsa.edu/~wagner/knuth/ http://www.cs.utsa.edu/~wagner/knuth/
amelius 8y ago
By the way, Knuth's monumental volume on searching is in need of an update since we've entered the age of search engines.
- CalChris 8y ago
  The second edition came out in 1998. Parallel merge sort well predates that, Parallel merge sort, Richard Cole, SIAM Journal of Computing, 1988. PageRank is more of comparison function for determining order rather than a sort algorithm in and of itself. Dunno. Maybe.
- ousta 8y ago
  what is this volume.
enitihas 8y ago
One day out of sheer boredom I was checking who is the youngest turing award winner. And it turns out Knuth is the youngest, having won the award at 36 years of age.
jwilk 8y ago
Does anyone know how to download this?
- RGS1811 8y ago
  There's a download button at the bottom of the player.
  - jwilk 8y ago
    Thanks. Direct download links: https://stacks.stanford.edu/file/druid:jq248bz8097/jq248bz8097_SC0932_s5_Knuth_Audio1_sl.m4a?download=true https://stacks.stanford.edu/file/druid:jq248bz8097/jq248bz80... https://stacks.stanford.edu/file/druid:jq248bz8097/jq248bz8097_SC0932_s5_Knuth_Audio2_sl.m4a?download=true https://stacks.stanford.edu/file/druid:jq248bz8097/jq248bz80...

173 points by bsilvereagle 8y ago

Transcript: https://stacks.stanford.edu/file/druid:jq248bz8097/jq248bz8097_SC0932_s5_Knuth_script.pdf?download=true https://stacks.stanford.edu/file/druid:jq248bz8097/jq248bz80...

simonebrunozzi 8y ago
Gulp. 177 pages. A book.
- blihp 8y ago
  You expected anything less from Knuth?
  - mathattack 8y ago
    It’s a wonder it didn’t take a decade or two to come out!

svat 8y ago

This is in fact one of several oral histories that Knuth has done over the last few years: * 2001, 2 hours audio (http://purl.umn.edu/96227 http://purl.umn.edu/96227), 27-page transcript (https://conservancy.umn.edu/handle/11299/107413 https://conservancy.umn.edu/handle/11299/107413) (partial I guess?) * 2006, Web of Stories, 7.5 hours video in 97 short parts https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLVV0r6CmEsFzeNLngr1JqyQki3wdoGrCn https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLVV0r6CmEsFzeNLngr1Jq... , transcript (https://github.com/kragen/knuth-interview-2006 https://github.com/kragen/knuth-interview-2006) * 2007, interview by Ed Feigenbaum, 3 hours (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Wp7GAKLSGnI https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Wp7GAKLSGnI) + 4 hours (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gqPPll3uDa0 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gqPPll3uDa0), 73-page transcript (https://archive.computerhistory.org/resources/access/text/2013/05/102658053-05-01-acc.pdf https://archive.computerhistory.org/resources/access/text/20...) * 2018, this one (https://purl.stanford.edu/jq248bz8097 https://purl.stanford.edu/jq248bz8097), about 4.5 hours, 177-page transcript (but 50 pages of those are Knuth's CV!) * 2018, by the Computer History Museum, 1.5 hours, specifically about the earliest programs he wrote as an undergrad when he first encountered computers (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q9JOrmgHw28 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q9JOrmgHw28): the programs themselves are here: https://www.computerhistory.org/collections/search/?s=X8738.2019 https://www.computerhistory.org/collections/search/?s=X8738.... (in machine language / assembly) I've watched the Web of Stories one fully (and the others not yet fully)… they are a delight. You can see the way his mind works, and he's someone whose career has spanned basically the entirety of computer science as a separate academic discipline.

janvdberg 8y ago

Speaking about Knuth audiofiles, I recently created a RSS feed for the Knuth's "Things a Computer Scientist Rarely Talks About" audio files (https://j11g.com/knuth.xml https://j11g.com/knuth.xml). This way you can listen to it in your favorite podcast player. For example, I added the feed to Overcast: https://overcast.fm/p1120847-YM0aS7 https://overcast.fm/p1120847-YM0aS7

hart_russell 8y ago
Thank you!I look forward to listening. To those of you who use the default podcasts app on iPhone: 1. Go to the library tab 2. Tap the edit button 3. Select "Add a Podcast by URL..." 4. Paste the xml link above
contr-error 8y ago
Thanks, very convenient! I assume there's no video of these lectures? I've listened up to the 3rd lecture and it seems that one and especially the fourth one (artwork) would benefit from video.

ggm 8y ago

potrzebie?

teddyh 8y ago
Context: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Potrzebie#System_of_measurement https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Potrzebie#System_of_measuremen...
- ggm 8y ago
  Halva!

winter_blue 8y ago

I'm hoping he releases his books under CC, or into the public domain. On that note, are there excerpts or small parts of TAOCP available anywhere online for free?

svat 8y ago
Everything Knuth has written for TAOCP after Volume 3 (over the last dozen years or so), amounting to all of Volume 4A (published as a ~900-page book) and about two-thirds of Volume 4B (yet to be published), is basically available online in draft form (very close to the final published version though of course Knuth being Knuth there may be many very minor changes), from his website, or more conveniently collected here: http://www.cs.utsa.edu/~wagner/knuth/ http://www.cs.utsa.edu/~wagner/knuth/

amelius 8y ago

By the way, Knuth's monumental volume on searching is in need of an update since we've entered the age of search engines.

CalChris 8y ago
The second edition came out in 1998. Parallel merge sort well predates that, Parallel merge sort, Richard Cole, SIAM Journal of Computing, 1988. PageRank is more of comparison function for determining order rather than a sort algorithm in and of itself. Dunno. Maybe.
ousta 8y ago
what is this volume.

enitihas 8y ago

One day out of sheer boredom I was checking who is the youngest turing award winner. And it turns out Knuth is the youngest, having won the award at 36 years of age.

jwilk 8y ago

Does anyone know how to download this?

RGS1811 8y ago
There's a download button at the bottom of the player.
- jwilk 8y ago
  Thanks. Direct download links: https://stacks.stanford.edu/file/druid:jq248bz8097/jq248bz8097_SC0932_s5_Knuth_Audio1_sl.m4a?download=true https://stacks.stanford.edu/file/druid:jq248bz8097/jq248bz80... https://stacks.stanford.edu/file/druid:jq248bz8097/jq248bz8097_SC0932_s5_Knuth_Audio2_sl.m4a?download=true https://stacks.stanford.edu/file/druid:jq248bz8097/jq248bz80...