Art of Computer Programming vol 1 - 3 /by Donald E. Knuth Volume 1: Fundamental Algorithms begins with mathematical preliminaries. The first section offers a good grounding in a variety of useful mathematical tools: proof techniques, combinatorics, and elementary number theory. Knuth then details the MIX processor, a virtual machine architecture that serves as the programming target for subsequent discussions. This wonderful section comprehensively covers the principles of simple machine architecture, beginning with a register-level discussion of the instruction set. A later discussion of a simulator for this machine includes an excellent description of the principles underlying the implementation of subroutines and co-routines. Implementing such a simulator is an excellent introduction to computer design. Volume 2: The book begins with fundamental questions regarding random numbers and how to use algorithms to generate them. Subsequent chapters demonstrate efficient computation of single-precision and double-precision arithmetic calculations and modular arithmetic. The text then presents prime factorization (which can be used in cryptography, for instance) and algorithms for calculating fractions. This volume ends with algorithms for polynomial arithmetic and manipulation of power-series topics, which will benefit those with some knowledge of calculus. Volume 3: This book forms a natural sequel to the material on information structures in Chapter 2 of Volume 1, because it adds the concept of linearly ordered data to the other basic structural ideas. The title "Sorting and Searching" may sound as if this book is only for those systems programmers who are concerned with the preparation of general-purpose sorting routines or applications to information retrieval. But in fact the area of sorting and searching provides an ideal framework for discussing a wide variety of important general issues: How are good algorithms discovered? How can given algorithms and programs be improved? How can the efficiency of algorithms be analyzed mathematically? How can a person choose rationally between different algorithms for the same task? In what senses can algorithms be proved ''best possible''? How does the theory of computing interact with practical considerations? How can external memories like tapes, drums, or disks be used efficiently with large databases?
