Donald Knuth

I have no idea where you get the idea that Don Knuth opposes Lockhart's approach.

I guess we'd not know without asking him, but having waded through much of TAOCP, Concrete Mathematics (a book filled to the brim with the kind of delightful discovery of pattern that Lockhart describes as optimal in learning math), Knuth's marvelously playful book "Selected Papers on Fun and Games"[2], and the novel he wrote about Conway's astonishing "Surreal Numbers"[3]...listening to him lecture on "importunate permutation" at the last local (SF) Joint Meeting of the American Mathematical Association, hearing about Knuth's thoughts on the mathematics of pipe organs, and even seeing the play/pattern-making that went into the entrance mosaic in his home [1]....I think you're way off base about what you think Knuth thinks about math education.

Lockhart: "...if I had to design a mechanism for the express purpose of destroying a child’s natural curiosity and love of pattern-making, I couldn’t possibly do as good a job as is currently being done— I simply wouldn’t have the imagination to come up with the kind of senseless, soulcrushing ideas that constitute contemporary mathematics education."

Knuth [Preface to Concrete Mathematics]: "Some people think that mathematics is serious business that must always be cold and dry; but we think mathematics is fun, and we aren't ashamed to admit the fact. Why should a strict boundary line be drawn between work and play? Concrete mathematics is full of…

> "These are systems that focus on generating beautifully typeset documentation without allowing the author to arbitrarily order code."

The previous sentence was: "When I look around at the legacy of literate programming, systems to do so-called semi- or quasi-literate programming dominate." Semi- or quasi- being intended to distinguish with classic literate programming as in CWeb.

I usually try to go out of my way to assume that if someone misunderstands me it's a failure of my writing, but in this case my post is filled with Knuth's original CWeb programs. It didn't seem realistic that you missed them all, or that you thought I missed that CWeb permits reordering in spite of having read so many CWeb programs.

And then you make this new jab about me not having read any literate programs, in spite of me showing repeatedly in the article that I went all the way down the list at http://www-cs-faculty.stanford.edu/~uno/programs.html. Are you sure you read my post?

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Thanks for the pointer to http://mmix.cs.hm.edu/local. Not immediately obvious that it cares about literate programming, but I'll take your word for it. I'd appreciate intros to anybody in that group with experience reading literate programs (email address in profile).

I guess this refers to Donald Knuth's "3:16 Bible Texts Illuminated": http://www-cs-faculty.stanford.edu/~uno/316.html
>The text found in chapter 3, verse 16, of most books in the Bible is a typical verse with no special distinction. But when Knuth examined what leading scholars throughout the centuries have written about those verses, he found that there is a fascinating story to be learned in every case, full of historical and spiritual insights. This book presents jargon-free introductions to each book of the Bible and in-depth analyses of what people from many different religious persuasions have said about the texts found in chapter 3, verse 16, together with 60 original illustrations by many of the world's leading calligraphers.
>The result is a grand tour of the Bible -- from Genesis 3:16 to Revelation 3:16 -- a treat for the mind, the eyes, and the spirit.

May I suggest Hackers by Steven Levy [0]. It was a phenomenal and inspirational read for me. Having born during the turn of the century, I'd missed the evolution of computers and programming. This book helped me fill that gap.

Incidentally, Hackers was what I read after I read Masters of Doom. Here's a quote from Masters of Doom:

"
Overnight, it seemed, Carmack was in a strange house, with a strange family and going to a strange school, a junior high with no gifted program or computer’s. He’d never felt so alone. Then one day he realized he wasn’t. The book Hackers: Heroes of the Computer Revolution was a revelation.
"

Edit:
Donald Knuth heartily recommends it too[1].

[0] http://www.amazon.com/Hackers-Computer-Revolution-Anniversary-Edition/dp/1449388396

[1] http://www-cs-faculty.stanford.edu/~uno/retd.html

Context for this is here:

http://www-cs-faculty.stanford.edu/~uno/news.html

> My academic appointment at Stanford officially began in 1968 — another leap leap year! — but I was actually on a leave of absence, doing some national service at Princeton. Finally I arrived on campus in September of 1969, and began to teach about computer programming. I gave my inaugural colloquium lecture as a Professor of Computer Science on November 4, 1969, speaking about a newfangled concept that I'd decided to call “analysis of algorithms.” As part of Stanford's ClassX Project, plans are afoot to stage a re-enactment of that lecture and to capture the video before a live audience.

Probably Donald Knuth's book "3:16 Bible Texts Illuminated" where Knuth goes through chapter 3, verse 16, of most books in the Bible.

http://www-cs-faculty.stanford.edu/~uno/316.html

http://www.amazon.com/3-16-Bible-Texts-Illuminated/dp/0895792524

While we’re at it, Knuth has also released a book (which is just transcripts of 5-6 lectures) wherein he discusses the 3:16 project: "Things a Computer Scientist Rarely Talks About"

http://www-cs-faculty.stanford.edu/~uno/things.html

http://www.amazon.com/Things-Computer-Scientist-Language-Information/dp/157586326X