Dijkstra is dead

Posted:
in General Discussion edited January 2014
Edgar Dijkstra,one of the world's great programmers,is dead.Here is a memorial page:



<a href="http://www.cs.utexas.edu/users/UTCS/notices/dijkstra/ewdobit.html"; target="_blank">http://www.cs.utexas.edu/users/UTCS/notices/dijkstra/ewdobit.html</a>;



[ 08-10-2002: Message edited by: Rick1138 ]</p>

Comments

  • Reply 1 of 15
    rick1138rick1138 Posts: 938member
    Doesn't anyone care? Where are the geeks?
  • Reply 2 of 15
    rodukroduk Posts: 706member
    He abolished the GOTO statement, what do you expect?
  • Reply 3 of 15
    rick1138rick1138 Posts: 938member
    OK at least someone is awake.
  • Reply 4 of 15
    stoostoo Posts: 1,490member
    Famous for a graph/paths related algorithm?
  • Reply 5 of 15
    Among other things.Famous for advocating elegant and organized code,as well as insisting that algorithms be well optimized.Really the first of early programmers to be considered a stylist.A strident critic of Basic.
  • Reply 6 of 15
    moogsmoogs Posts: 4,296member
    Sad that every American teenager knows who Enima-em is, but they don't know who the great programmers and scientists of the last generation were. Hell, most probably don't even know who Neil Armstrong is. As the maitre-D in Ferris Bueller's Day Off said, I weep for the future.
  • Reply 7 of 15
    newnew Posts: 3,244member
    Kristen Nygaard died yesterday as well, any of you guys know who he was?
  • Reply 8 of 15
    Kruskal's algorithm was better.
  • Reply 9 of 15
    rick1138rick1138 Posts: 938member
    One of the originators of Object Oriented programming,on equal footing to Dijkstra,that's very sad.I'm really surprised that more people here didn't know who they were,with so many claiming to be geeks.
  • Reply 10 of 15
    amorphamorph Posts: 7,112member
    I know who they were.



    This is a sad moment. I just hope Knuth lives long enough to finish volume 4 of his magnum opus! He isn't getting any younger, either.



    Dijkstra was also a famously boring lecturer.



    R.I.P. The field is poorer without them.



    [ 08-12-2002: Message edited by: Amorph ]</p>
  • Reply 11 of 15
    alicealice Posts: 15member
    Are they exactly the same? Are you giving it to me? I get it. he abolished the GOTO statement. I like to chat with my friends. I do not understand. The anonymous "they". I call it "Hades". You seem uncertain. Who is your favorite Science Fiction author? But not all of them? Do you mean your name is the maitre D in Ferris Bueller s Day Off said ? Interesting gossip: Rick said he weep for the futureKristen Nygaard died yesterday as well.One of the originators of Object Oriented programming.
  • Reply 12 of 15
    splinemodelsplinemodel Posts: 7,311member
    But. . . But. . . the goto statement is bread and butter.



    I haven't done anything high level for a while, and I consider C to be high level. Nonetheless, I think I remember this guy's name batted around once in a CS class.



    But as you fellas may realize, scientists and the like are rarely well known. The ones who are known are the ones who have avenues into the public knowledge base. That is, the ones who write a lot of non-scientific works as well. Einstein comes to mind as the only household name.



    People have never paid attention to scientists, because most people really have no ability to comprehend the science behind things (or lack the time/interest to figure it out).
  • Reply 13 of 15
    [quote]People have never paid attention to scientists, because most people really have no ability to comprehend the science behind things (or lack the time/interest to figure it out). <hr></blockquote>



    From what I see, most scientists don't spend any time making their work accessible. It requires a huge investment to be able to understand academic works, and I don't think it's people's fault for neglecting to do it in their spare time.
  • Reply 14 of 15
    splinemodelsplinemodel Posts: 7,311member
    [quote]Originally posted by Mac The Fork:

    <strong>



    From what I see, most scientists don't spend any time making their work accessible. It requires a huge investment to be able to understand academic works, and I don't think it's people's fault for neglecting to do it in their spare time.</strong><hr></blockquote>



    Exactly my point. People don't pay attention to scientists. Paying attention implies that the initiative is on the part of the people. And also, as I said, the scientists who DO make efforts to publicize their work (through appearances, quotes, novels, etc) are well known.
  • Reply 15 of 15
    rick1138rick1138 Posts: 938member
    Science is accessible to anyone who wants to do the work to understand it.Mathematicians are even more neglected.How many people on average can even recognize the names of the great mathematicians? I find the igorance to be especially alarming among otherwise well-educated people in who are well versed in the humanities,wheras in general I think people who work in the sciences have better knowledge,curiosity and respect for those in the humanities.
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