From: pjfarley AT dorsai DOT org (Peter J. Farley III)
Newsgroups: comp.os.msdos.djgpp
Subject: Re: random numbers
Date: Tue, 12 Aug 1997 03:46:07 GMT
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To: djgpp AT delorie DOT com
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Jude DaShiell <jdashiel AT eagle1 DOT eaglenet DOT com> wrote:
>for those who haven't read Knuth, a warning.
>He wrote some of his own programming languages if they can be
>called that and having done so went on to write his books.
>For that reason it will help to first learn Knuth and then learn
>what's in his books.  If you can do Sanscrit you'll do fine.

<*Chuckle*> I do hope you were trying for humor.  Knuth may have
written a tad on the dense side at times, and I'll be the first to
admit that his "MIX" language leaves a lot to be desired.  However, as
a simplified teaching tool, it did the job, whether or not we think
(in 20/20 hindsight) it was the best tool for the job, even at that
time.

The principles he taught in those books, though, are still as valid as
they ever were; who else ever explained polyphase sorting so that even
*I* could understand it (and I've been known to be pretty dense).  And
his descriptions of b*trees are still my basic reference on the
subject.

Peace.  No flame intended.

----------------------------------------------------
Peter J. Farley III (pjfarley AT dorsai DOT org)