American Computer Scientist and Mathematician 1938–

Donald Ervin Knuth is considered one of the world's leading computer scientists and mathematicians. Yet in high school, Knuth found mathematics uninspiring. Although he achieved the highest grade-point average in the history of his high school, Knuth doubted his ability to succeed in college mathematics; and so did his advisor. So when Knuth graduated from high school in 1956, he entered the Case Institute of Technology (now Case Western Reserve) in Cleveland, Ohio, on a physics scholarship.

In his freshman year, Knuth encountered Paul Guenther, a mathematics professor who persuaded him to switch majors from physics to mathematics. Fearing he would fail, Knuth spent hours working out extra calculus problems, only to discover that his abilities far exceeded those of his classmates. One particularly difficult professor assigned a special problem and offered an immediate "A" in the course to any student who...