I believe that the creation of a great puzzle or a great pattern is a scholarly achievement of great merit, an important contribution to world culture, even though the author of such a breakthrough is often an amateur who has no academic credentials.
— DONALD ERVIN KNUTH, Selected Papers on Fun & Games (2011)
George Forsythe wrote in 1966 that “A useful algorithm is a substantial contribution to knowledge. Its publication constitutes an important piece of scholarship.”
His comments have always inspired me to strive for excellence in programming, and they have played a major rôle in shaping my present view that it is worthwhile to consider every program as a work of literature.
— DONALD ERVIN KNUTH, Literate Programming (1992)
The author believes with Cowper, that
“It is the sad complaint, and almost true, Whate’er we write, we bring forth nothing new.”and he has few pretensions to originality. To be useful, rather than to be original, has been his aim; but if he has not presented to his readers any new thoughts, he hopes it will be found, that he has placed old ones in a new light; or so grouped them together, as to give them an air of novelty.
— WILLIAM BANKS, The English master; or, Student's guide to reasoning and composition (1823)