Things a Computer Scientist Rarely Talks About (Paperback)

Donald E. Knuth

ISBN 10: 157586326X / ISBN 13: 9781575863269

Published by Centre for the Study of Language & Information, Stanford, 2003

About this Item

Paperback. 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?Perhaps no one is more qualified to address these questions than Donald E. Knuth, whose massive contributions to computing have led others to nickname him "The Father of Computer Science"and whose religious faith led him to understand a fascinating analysis of the Bible called the 3:16 project. In this series of six spirited, informal lectures, Knuth explores the relationships between his vocation and his faith, revealing the unique perspective that his work with computing has lent to his understanding of God.His starting point is the 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 its many dimensions of language translation, aesthetics, and theological history. Along the way, Knuth explains the many insights he gained from such interdisciplinary work. These theological musings culminate in a surprising final lecture tackling the ideas of infinity, free will, and some of the other big questions that lie at the juncture of theology and computation.Things a Computer Scientist Rarely Talks About, with its charming and user-friendly formateach lecture ends with a question and answer exchange, and the book itself contains more than 100 illustrationsis a readable and intriguing approach to a crucial topic, certain to edify both those who are serious and curious about their faiths and those who look at the science of computation and wonder what it might teach them about their spiritual world.Includes "Creativity, Spirituality, and Computer Science," a panel discussion featuring Harry Lewis, Guy L. Steele, Jr., Manuela Veloso, Donald E. Knuth, and Mitch Kapor. How does a computer scientist understand infinity? What can probability theory teach us about free will? This book contains six informal lectures by computer scientist Donald E. Knuth exploring the relationship between his vocation and his faith. Shipping may be from our UK warehouse or from our Australian or US warehouses, depending on stock availability.

Seller Inventory # 9781575863269

Bibliographic Details

• Title: Things a Computer Scientist Rarely Talks About (Paperback)
• Publisher: Centre for the Study of Language & Information, Stanford
• Publication Date: 2003
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 157586326X
• ISBN 13: 9781575863269
• Binding: Paperback
• Condition: new

About this title

Synopsis

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.

About the Author

Donald E. Knuth is one of the world's pre-eminent computer scientists, whose works have had a profound influence on the subject since the publication in 1968 of the first volume of The Art of Computer Programming. Knuth created TeX, a language for typesetting mathematical and scientific texts, and METAFONT, a computer software system for alphabet design. He is professor emeritus at Stanford University.