TAOCP: Volume 1, Notes on the exercises

02 Jun 2022

Starting The Art of Computer Programming and the exercises have a flow chart. There are 18 steps detailed in the text and it reads like a use case document. I have so many questions.

Step #2 says “Read the Notes on the Exercises” so I will be giving that a try. I am sure this has meaning. I am sure I need to read it. I am more concerned with the Summary of Codes used to describe the exercises themselves.

Summary of Codes

The commentary in parentheses is mine.

• >> - Recommended
• M - Mathematically oriented
• HM - Requiring “higher math”
• 00 - Immediate
• 10 - Simple (one minute)
• 20 - Medium (quarter hour)
• 30 - Moderately hard
• 40 - Term project (I wonder how many of these types of questions will turn up?)
• 50 - Research project (Yeah, no thanks)

Exercises

Here are the questions for the notes on exercises section. If you can do the math have at it; otherwise there is Chapter One waiting.

1. [00] What does the rating “M20” mean?
2. [10] Of what value can the exercises in a textbook be to the reader?
3. [14] Prove that 13³ = 2197. Generalize your answer. [This is an example of a horrible king of problem that the author has tried to avoid.]
4. [HM45] Prove that when n is an integer, n > 2, the equation xⁿ + yⁿ = zⁿ has no solution in positive integers x, y, z.