108 Quotes by Donald Knuth

I currently use Ubuntu Linux, on a standalone laptop – it has no Internet connection. I occasionally carry flash memory drives between this machine and the Macs that I use for network surfing and graphics; but I trust my family jewels only to Linux.

A mathematical formula should never be “owned” by anybody! Mathematics belong to God.

The language in which we express our ideas has a strong influence on our thought processes.

Overstimulation has been the real drawback. I need to find ways to stop thinking about analysis of algorithms, in order to do various other things that human beings ought to do.

We should forget about small efficiencies, say about 97% of the time: premature optimization is the root of all evil. Yet we should not pass up our opportunities in that critical 3%.

I’ve never been a good estimator of how long things are going to take.

I’m obsessively detail-oriented.

For his major contributions to the analysis of algorithms and the design of programming languages, and in particular for his contributions to the “art of computer programming” through his well-known books in a continuous series by this title.

Random numbers should not be generated with a method chosen at random.