Edsger Dijkstra – 6 Quotes

6 Quotes by Edsger Dijkstra

Computer science is no more about computers than astronomy is about telescopes.

– Edsger Dijkstra

The question of whether a computer can think is no more interesting than the question of whether a submarine can swim.

– Edsger Dijkstra

Why has elegance found so little following? That is the reality of it. Elegance has the disadvantage, if that’s what it is, that hard work is needed to achieve it and a good education to appreciate it.

– Edsger Dijkstra

Elegance is not a dispensable luxury but a factor that decides between success and failure.

– Edsger Dijkstra

It is practically impossible to teach good programming to students that have had a prior exposure to BASIC: as potential programmers they are mentally mutilated beyond hope of regeneration.

– Edsger Dijkstra

Perfecting oneself is as much unlearning as it is learning.

– Edsger Dijkstra