Donald Knuth

Education and academic work

Born in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, he received his bachelor's degree and master's degree in mathematics in 1960 at the Case Institute of Technology (now the Case School of Engineering, a part of Case Western Reserve University). In 1963, he earned a Ph.D. in mathematics from the California Institute of Technology, where he became a professor and began work on The Art of Computer Programming, originally planned as a seven-volume series. In 1968, he published the first volume. That same year, he joined the faculty of Stanford University.

Related Topics:
Milwaukee, Wisconsin - Bachelor's degree - Master's degree - Mathematics - 1960 - Case Institute of Technology - Case School of Engineering - 1963 - California Institute of Technology - The Art of Computer Programming - 1968 - Stanford University

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In 1971, Knuth was the recipient of the first ACM Grace Murray Hopper Award. He has received various other awards including the Turing Award, the National Medal of Science, the John von Neumann Medal and the Kyoto Prize. After producing the third volume of his series in 1976, he expressed such frustration with the antiquated state of publishing tools that he took time out to work on phototypesetting and created the TEX and METAFONT tools.

Related Topics:
1971 - ACM - Grace Murray Hopper Award - Turing Award - National Medal of Science - John von Neumann Medal - Kyoto Prize - 1976 - T_EX - METAFONT

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In recognition of Knuth's contributions to the field of computer science, in 1990 he was awarded the singular academic title of Professor of the Art of Computer Programming, which has since been revised to Professor Emeritus of the Art of Computer Programming.

Related Topics:
Computer science - 1990

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In 1992 he became an associate of the French Academy of Sciences. Also that year, he retired from regular research and teaching at Stanford University in order to finish The Art of Computer Programming. In 2003 he was elected as a Fellow of the Royal Society. As of 2004, the first three volumes of his series have been re-issued, and Knuth is currently working on volume four, excerpts of which are released periodically on his website. Meanwhile, Knuth gives informal lectures a few times a year at Stanford University, which he calls Computer Musings.

Related Topics:
1992 - French Academy of Sciences - Stanford University - The Art of Computer Programming - 2003 - Royal Society - 2004

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