Discipline Of Programming
A Discipline Of Programming by EwDijkstra
ISBN 013215871X
Author Edsger W. Dijkstra introduces A Discipline of Programming with the statement, "My original idea was to publish a number of beautiful algorithms in such a way that the reader could appreciate their beauty." Dijkstra achieves this goal and accomplishes a great deal more.
He begins by considering the questions:
- "What is an algorithm?"
- "What are we doing when we program?"
These questions lead him to an interesting digression on the semantics of programming languages. Dijkstra then delivers, as promised, a collection of beautiful algorithms.
- These algorithms are far ranging, covering mathematical computations, various kinds of sorting problems, pattern matching, convex hulls, and more. The value in reading A Discipline of Programming is to absorb and understand the way that Dijkstra thought about these problems, which for some, is more valuable than to have a collection of a thousand algorithms.
Related:
- Reviews of book at www.bookshelved.org/cgi-bin/wiki.pl?ADisciplineOfProgramming
- http://www.geek-central.gen.nz/peeves/programming_discipline.html