computer-science history-of-computing donald-knuth scholarly-work

The Tears of Donald Knuth (2015)

cacm.acm.org

February 22, 2026

19 min read

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Summary

Donald Knuth emphasizes the importance of acknowledging the history of computing and its scholarly work. Recent discussions explore the evolving relationship between computer science and its historical narratives, questioning who authors these histories and their intended audiences.

Key Takeaways

Donald Knuth expressed concern over the diminishing focus on technical histories in computing, as highlighted in Martin Campbell-Kelly's paper, "The History of the History of Software."
Knuth emphasized the importance of understanding the history of science for improving teaching and appreciating contributions from diverse cultures.
He criticized the characterization of technical histories as overly narrow and lacking in broader vision, which he believes undermines the value of contributions from technical experts.
Knuth acknowledged the unique contributions of professionally trained historians in uncovering primary sources and contextualizing historical events.

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Negative

Concerns

Knuth's disappointment with LLMs highlights a concern that they undermine the depth of understanding in programming, which could lead to a generation of developers lacking essential skills.