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by Victerius 1597 days ago
This is a good resource.

Is there an equivalent to Feynman's lectures on physics but for computer science?

Which books about computer science will remain relevant in one hundred years, when most engineers will probably be using programming languages and frameworks whose creators are not even born yet? I don't work in software, but I like to collect foundational texts in various disciplines. I have some programming experience under my belt, and I've taken a few introductory classes about data structures and algorithms, but my personal library lacks CS texts.

3 comments

Maybe not precisely the material you're looking for, but there do exist Feynman Lectures on Computation:

https://archive.org/details/feynmanlectureso0000feyn/mode/2u...

Thank you. Much appreciated.
The obvious answer is Structure and Interpretation of Computer Programs by Abelson and Sussman, often called SICP. It is often discussed on HN and is generally regarded as a classic with great staying power. It appeared in 1985 so it already has a good start on a hundred years.

It has some features in common with The Feynman Lectures: It presents a very personal, not always mainstream, view of its subject. It was originally written as a first-year textbook (for MIT instead of Caltech) but many in its orginal intended audience found it too difficult or just too weird, and it is most appreciated now by experienced programmers and computer scientists.

Thank you. Much appreciated.
People talk about The Art of Computer Programming that way. I can't personally speak for the contents though.
Thank you. Much appreciated.