The Prisoner Falls In Love With His

When I Came Back From Munich, It Was September, And I Was Professor Of Mathematics At The Eindhoven University Of Technology. Later I Learned That I Had Been The Department's Third Choice, After Two Numerical Analysts Had Turned The Invitation Down; The Decision To Invite Me Had Not Been An Easy One, On The One Hand Because I Had Not Really Studied Mathematics, And On The Other Hand Because Of My Sandals, My Beard And My "arrogance" (whatever That May Be).

Besides A Mathematical Inclination, An Exceptionally Good Mastery Of One's Native Tongue Is The Most Vital Asset Of A Competent Programmer.

I Mean, If 10 Years From Now, When You Are Doing Something Quick And Dirty, You Suddenly Visualize That I Am Looking Over Your Shoulders And Say To Yourself "dijkstra Would Not Have Liked This," Well, That Would Be Enough Immortality For Me.

The Traditional Mathematician Recognizes And Appreciates Mathematical Elegance When He Sees It. I Propose To Go One Step Further, And To Consider Elegance An Essential Ingredient Of Mathematics: If It Is Clumsy, It Is Not Mathematics.

The Use Of Cobol Cripples The Mind; Its Teaching Should, Therefore, Be Regarded As A Criminal Offense.