This volume, sixth in a series of collected works by world-renowned computer scientist Donald E. Knuth, assembles approximately two doxen of his pioneering contributions to the field of computer languages, including papers on ALGOL, SOL, RUNCIBLE, and FORTRAN. Papers on the early development of programming languages, the history of writing compilers, the characterization of parenthesis languages, and the semantics of context-free languages are also included.

Donald E. Knuth's seminal publications have earned him a loyal following among scholars and computer scientists, and his award-winning textbooks have become classics that are often given credit for shaping the field of computer science. In this volume, he explains and comments on the changes he has made to his work over the last twenty years in response to new technologies and the evolving understanding of key concepts in computer science. His commentary is supplemented by a full bibliography of his works and a number of interviews with Knuth himself, which shed light on his professional life and publications as well as provide interesting biographical details. A giant in the field of computer science, Knuth has assembled materials that offer a full portrait of both the scientist and the man. The final volume of a series of his collected papers, "Companion to the Papers of Donald Knuth" is essential for the Knuth completist.

How does a computer scientist understand infinity? What can probability theory teach us about free will? Can mathematical notions be used to enhance one's personal understanding of the Bible? This book contains six informal lectures by computer scientist Donald E. Knuth exploring the relationship between his vocation and his faith, revealing the unique perspective that his work with computing has lent to his understanding of God. Knuth's starting point is his 3:16 project, an application of mathematical "random sampling" to the books of the Bible. The first lectures tell the story of the project's conception and execution, exploring the complex dimensions of language translation, aesthetics, and theological history. Knuth also reveals the many insights that he has gained along the way from such interdisciplinary work. The theological musings culminate in a final lecture which tackles infinity, free will, and the other "big questions" that lie at the juncture of theology and computation. Each lecture ends with a question and answer exchange.

Donald E. Knuth has been making foundational contributions to the field of computer science for as long as computer science has been a field. His award-winning textbooks are often given credit for shaping the field, and his scientific papers are widely referenced and stand as milestones of development for a wide variety of topics. The present volume, the seventh in a series of his collected papers, is devoted to his work on the design of new algorithms. Nearly thirty of Knuth's classic papers are collected in this book and brought up to date with extensive revisions and notes on subsequent developments. The papers cover numerous discrete problems, such as assorting, searching, data compression, theorem proving, and cryptography, as well as methods for controlling errors in numerical computations.

Donald E. Knuth’s influence in computer science ranges from the invention of methods for translating and defining programming languages to the creation of the TeX and METAFONT systems for desktop publishing. His award-winning textbooks have become classics that are often given credit for shaping the field, and his scientific papers are widely referenced and stand as milestones of development over a wide variety of topics. The present volume is the eighth in a series of his collected papers.