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Quote by Kenneth E. Iverson

“The properties of executability and universality associated with programming languages can be combined, in a single language, with the well-known properties of mathematical notation which make it such an effective tool of thought.”

Quote by Kenneth E. Iverson

Author

Kenneth E. Iverson
Kenneth E. Iverson

Kenneth E. Iverson was a renowned computer scientist known for his contributions to computer programming languages and mathematical notation. He is best known for inventing the APL programming language, a language for scientific computing, and was awarded the Turing Award in 1979 for his contributions to the field. more

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“The practice of first developing a clear and precise definition of a process without regard for efficiency, and then using it as a guide and a test in exploring equivalent processes possessing other characteristics, such as greater efficiency, is very common in mathematics. It is a very fruitful practice which should not be blighted by premature emphasis on efficiency in computer execution.”

“Although mathematical notation undoubtedly possesses parsing rules, they are rather loose, sometimes contradictory, and seldom clearly stated. [...] The proliferation of programming languages shows no more uniformity than mathematics. Nevertheless, programming languages do bring a different perspective. [...] Because of their application to a broad range of topics, their strict grammar, and their strict interpretation, programming languages can provide new insights into mathematical notation.”