Ew Dijkstra

(1930-2002)

Edsger W. Dijkstra, Dutch computing scientist.

If you don't know him, read his books and articles. Also read BeautyIsOurBusiness.

See http://www.cs.utexas.edu/users/almstrum/cs373/general/EWD1166.html for an autobiography including his contributions to the development of compilers, and his run-in with Harry D. Huskey, inventor of the SWAC.

See also http://www.cs.utexas.edu/users/EWD/CSobit.html.

EWD Archive is at http://www.cs.utexas.edu/users/EWD/.

As a skilled writer and a master of language Dijkstra is the source of many memorable sayings, some of which are now consecrated as integral parts of the computer science lingo. The quotes which inspired or otherwise interested wikizens are on a separate page EwDijkstraQuotes

---

Links and Papers

• http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Edsger_W._Dijkstra Wikipedia
• http://www.cs.utexas.edu/users/UTCS/report/1997/dijkstra.html University of Texas Austin Faculty Page
• http://www.cbi.umn.edu/collections/inv/burros/dijkstra.htm Collected Papers
• http://luke.acm.org/awards/turing_citations/dijkstra.html ACM Citation
• http://www.cs.utexas.edu/users/EWD/ Online versions (PDF) of collected manuscripts
• http://www.computerhistory.org/timeline/1968/dijkstra_goto.page

• "On the T.H.E. Operating System", which not only described the classic operating system design, but in a brief appendix describes semaphores. (see http://www.cs.utexas.edu/users/EWD/ewd01xx/EWD196.PDF)

• One of my favorites is his TuringAward lecture TheHumbleProgrammer. -- JuneKim

---

Guidance on how to say his name moved to PronouncingDutch.

See also: AnswersToQuestionsFromStudentsOfSoftwareEngineering, GotoConsideredHarmful, DiningPhilosophers

---

CategoryScientist CategoryAuthor