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From: macrakis@osf.org (Stavros Macrakis)
Newsgroups: comp.lang.misc
Subject: Re: Will this *thread* ever halt?
Message-ID: <MACRAKIS.91Jun24135614@next15.osf.org>
Date: 24 Jun 91 17:56:14 GMT
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In-reply-to: brnstnd@kramden.acf.nyu.edu's message of 24 Jun 91 00:03:58 GMT

In article <12358.Jun2400.03.5891@kramden.acf.nyu.edu> brnstnd@kramden.acf.nyu.edu (Dan Bernstein) writes:

   Within the subject matter covered by [Knuth] volumes 1 through 3,
   can you name any important algorithm (i.e., algorithm used by a
   significant percentage of today's programmers) not mentioned by
   Knuth?

Since someone has already answered the question, let me question your
question.  Since when is an algorithm's ``importance'' measured by the
percentage of programmers using it?  By that metric, probably 80% of
volume 1 is ``unimportant'', about 99% of volume 2, and perhaps 90% of
volume 3.  Maybe a little more in some very high-tech environments.

Knuth is full of important algorithms, but many important algorithms
have been published since.  Alas, neither old nor new algorithms seem
to be widely understood and used.

Unfortunate, no doubt, but that's life.

	-s