Book of the Week: Mature Optimization Handbook

23 Nov 2013

Premature optimization is the root of all evil – Donald Knuth

The Mature Optimization Handbook is written by Facebook employee Carlos Bueno. He also wrote Lauren Ipsum, a children’s book about computer science.

I once generalized from a single data point, and I’ll never do that again! - Achilles the Logician, Lauren Ipsum

Most computer programmers have come across Donald Knuth’s quote about optimization. There is an opportunity cost in everything we do. It turns out most optimizations are not worth the time spent on them. The Problem

It is better to do the right problem the wrong way than the wrong problem the right way - Richard Hamming, The Art of Doing Science and Engineering

When you do optimize, make sure to clearly define the problem. The solution generally follows from that. Measuring

The people in the hardware store must have thought my father was crazy. Before buying a yardstick, he compared each one to a yardstick he brought with him.

The only way you know you have solved the problem is with measurement. The measurement must make sense for the problem and be well calibrated. Visualizing Data People can get creative with SQL. After you measure, you need a way to make it digestible without losing important information.