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Authors:
Edsger Dijkstra Quotes

Edsger Dijkstra quotes

Dutch Scientist May 11, 1930 – August 6, 2002

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Quotes

The students that, like the wild animal being prepared for its tricks in the circus called "life", expects only training as sketched above, will be severely disappointed: by his standards he will learn next to nothing. Edsger Dijkstra
Teaching to unsuspecting youngsters the effective use of formal methods is one of the joys of life because it is so extremely rewarding. Edsger Dijkstra
Why has elegance found so little following? That is the reality of it. Elegance has the disadvantage, if that's what it is, that hard work is needed to achieve it and a good education to appreciate it. Edsger Dijkstra
Edsger Dijkstra quote: "Elegance is not a dispensable luxury but a factor that decides..."
Elegance is not a dispensable luxury but a factor that decides between success and failure. Edsger Dijkstra
It is practically impossible to teach good programming to students that have had a prior exposure to BASIC: as potential programmers they are mentally mutilated beyond hope of regeneration. Edsger Dijkstra
Edsger Dijkstra quote: "Mathematicians are like managers - they want improvement..."
Mathematicians are like managers - they want improvement without change. Edsger Dijkstra
APL is a mistake, carried through to perfection. It is the language of the future for the programming techniques of the past: it creates a new generation of coding bums. Edsger Dijkstra
Many mathematicians derive part of their self-esteem by feeling themselves the proud heirs of a long tradition of rational thinking; I am afraid they idealize their cultural ancestors. Edsger Dijkstra
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. Edsger Dijkstra
I mentioned the non-competitive spirit explicitly, because these days, excellence is a fashionable concept. But excellence is a competitive notion, and that is not what we are heading for: we are heading for perfection. Edsger Dijkstra
Edsger Dijkstra quote: "Perfecting oneself is as much unlearning as it is learning."
Perfecting oneself is as much unlearning as it is learning. Edsger Dijkstra
Edsger Dijkstra quote: "The question of whether a computer can think is no more..."
The question of whether a computer can think is no more interesting than the question of whether a submarine can swim. Edsger Dijkstra
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. Edsger Dijkstra
Edsger Dijkstra quote: "Simplicity is prerequisite for reliability."
Simplicity is prerequisite for reliability. Edsger Dijkstra
The competent programmer is fully aware of the limited size of his own skull. He therefore approaches his task with full humility, and avoids clever tricks like the plague. Edsger Dijkstra

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