HAKMEM, alternatively known as AI Memo 239, is a February 1972 "memo" ( technical report) of the MIT AI Lab containing a wide variety of hacks, including useful and clever

algorithm In mathematics and computer science, an algorithm () is a finite sequence of Rigour#Mathematics, mathematically rigorous instructions, typically used to solve a class of specific Computational problem, problems or to perform a computation. Algo ...

s for mathematical computation, some

number theory Number theory is a branch of pure mathematics devoted primarily to the study of the integers and arithmetic functions. Number theorists study prime numbers as well as the properties of mathematical objects constructed from integers (for example ...

and schematic diagrams for hardware – in Guy L. Steele's words, "a bizarre and eclectic potpourri of technical trivia". Contributors included about two dozen members and associates of the AI Lab. The title of the report is short for "hacks memo", abbreviated to six upper case characters that would fit in a single

PDP-10 Digital Equipment Corporation (DEC)'s PDP-10, later marketed as the DECsystem-10, is a mainframe computer family manufactured beginning in 1966 and discontinued in 1983. 1970s models and beyond were marketed under the DECsystem-10 name, especi ...

machine word (using a six-bit character set).

History

HAKMEM is notable as an early compendium of

ic technique, particularly for its practical bent, and as an illustration of the wide-ranging interests of AI Lab people of the time, which included almost anything other than AI research. HAKMEM contains original work in some fields, notably continued fractions.

Introduction

:Compiled with the hope that a record of the random things people do around here can save some duplication of effort -- except for fun. :Here is some little known data which may be of interest to computer
hacker A hacker is a person skilled in information technology who achieves goals and solves problems by non-standard means. The term has become associated in popular culture with a security hackersomeone with knowledge of bug (computing), bugs or exp ...
s. The items and examples are so sketchy that to decipher them may require more sincerity and curiosity than a non-hacker can muster. Doubtless, little of this is new, but nowadays it's hard to tell. So we must be content to give you an insight, or save you some cycles, and to welcome further contributions of items, new or used.

References

External links

* {{citation , title=HAKMEM , author-first1=Michael , author-last1=Beeler , author-first2=Ralph William , author-last2=Gosper , author-link2=Bill Gosper , author-first3=Richard C. , author-last3=Schroeppel , author-link3=Richard C. Schroeppel , contribution=compilation , contributor-first1=Richard C. , contributor-last1=Schroeppel , contributor-link1=Richard C. Schroeppel , contributor-last2=Orman , contributor-first2=Hilarie K. , date=1972-02-29 , publisher= Artificial Intelligence Laboratory,

Massachusetts Institute of Technology The Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) is a Private university, private research university in Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States. Established in 1861, MIT has played a significant role in the development of many areas of moder ...

, Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA , edition=retyped & converted (April 1995) , editor-first=Henry , editor-last=Baker , id=MIT AI Memo 239 , type=report , url=http://home.pipeline.com/~hbaker1/hakmem/hakmem.html , access-date=2016-01-02 , archive-date=2019-10-08 , archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191008012414/http://home.pipeline.com/~hbaker1/hakmem/hakmem.html , url-status=dead
HAKMEM facsimile (PDF)searchable version
Algorithms Computer science papers 1972 in Massachusetts Memoranda February 1972 in the United States History of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology

History

Introduction

See also

References

External links