Quotation
Quote by Donald Knuth
We should forget about small efficiencies, say about 97% of the time: premature optimization is the root of all evil.
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Understanding this quote
The quote advises people to stop worrying about minor improvements in most situations, especially before they understand the larger problem. “Premature optimization” means trying to make something faster or more efficient too early. That effort can distract from more important work and lead to unnecessary complexity. The point is to focus first on what matters most, then optimize when there is a clear need.
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About this quotation
- Source
- Donald E. Knuth, “Structured Programming with go to Statements” (ACM Computing Surveys, 1974)
- Format
- Official Statement
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