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"Infinitely many alphabets can be generated by the programs in this book".

But the number of parameters is finite, and all parameters have a finite number of possible values.

His errata changed the wording thus:

Zillions of alphabets can be generated by the programs in this book. (https://ftp.rrze.uni-erlangen.de/ctan/systems/knuth/dist/err...)



In the late 1990s I implemented an algorithm from one of Knuth's books. (An algorithm to generate prime numbers.) I found a mistake!

I was so excited.

I then checked the errata. It was known.

It took another 20 years before I found an actual mistake, regarding the early history of superimposed codes. A very specialized topic where I have one of the few copies of the patent challenge distinguishing between random superimposed codes and arbitrarily selected superimposed codes.

I have a check.


Incredible.




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