Structure and Interpretation of Computer Programs (SICP), also known as the wizard book,[1] is a computer science textbook. It teaches fundamental principles of computer programming, including recursion, abstraction, modularity, and programming language design and implementation. It is widely considered a classic in hacker culture.[2]
 Cover of the second edition | |
| Author | Harold Abelson, Gerald Jay Sussman, Julie Sussman |
|---|---|
| Subject | Computer programming |
| Genre | Textbook |
| Publisher | MIT Press |
Publication date | 1985 (1st ed.), 1996 (2nd ed.) |
| Pages | 657 |
| ISBN | 0-262-51087-1 (2nd ed.) |
| LC Class | QA76.6 .A255 1996 |
| Website | https://mitpress.mit.edu/sicp |
It was written by Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) professors Harold Abelson and Gerald Jay Sussman with Julie Sussman, and first published in 1985 by the MIT Press. It was formerly used as the textbook for MIT's introductory course in electrical engineering and computer science. SICP focuses on discovering general patterns for solving specific problems, and building robust software systems that make use of those patterns.[3]
Content
The book describes computer science concepts using Scheme, a dialect of Lisp. It also uses a virtual register machine and assembler to implement Lisp interpreters and compilers.
Characters
Several fictional characters appear in the book:
- Alyssa P. Hacker, a Lisp hacker
- Ben Bitdiddle, a hardware expert
- Cy D. Fect, a "reformed C programmer"
- Eva Lu Ator, an evaluator
- Lem E. Tweakit, an irate user
- Louis Reasoner, a loose reasoner
License
The book is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution ShareAlike 4.0 License.[4]
Coursework
The book was used as the textbook of MIT's old introductory programming class, 6.001.[5] This class has been replaced by 6.0001,[6] which uses Python.[7] Other schools also made use of the book as a course textbook.[8] The second edition (ISBN 0-262-51087-1) appeared in 1996. More recently it is used as the textbook of MIT's Large Scale Symbolic Systems class, 6.945.[9]
Reception
Byte recommended SICP "for professional programmers who are really interested in their profession". The magazine stated that the book was not easy to read, but that it would expose experienced programmers to both old and new topics.[10]
Influence
SICP has been influential in computer science education, and a number of later books have been inspired by its style.
- Structure and Interpretation of Classical Mechanics (SICM), another book by Gerald Jay Sussman that uses Scheme
- How to Design Programs (HtDP), which intends to be a more accessible book for introductory Computer Science, and to address perceived incongruities in SICP
- Essentials of Programming Languages (EoPL), a book for Programming Languages courses
- Lisp in Small Pieces (LiSP), a book full of Scheme interpreters and compilers
References
- ^ "Wizard Book", The New Hacker's Dictionary (2nd ed.), 1993.
- ^ "The Top 91⁄2 Books in a Hacker's Bookshelf", Grok code, retrieved 2010-10-23
{{citation}}: templatestyles stripmarker in|contribution=at position 10 (help) - ^ Harvey, B (2011), "Why SICP matters?", The 150th anniversary of MIT, Boston Globe.
- ^ SICP, MIT press.
- ^ "Electrical Engineering and Computer Science | 6.001 Structure and Interpretation of Computer Programs". OpenCourseWare. MIT. Spring 2005. Retrieved 2011-06-28.
- ^ "6.0001", Catalog, MIT.
- ^ Guy, Donald, "The End of an Era", MIT Admissions (blog comment), retrieved 2008-08-05,
I talked to Professor Sussman on the phone... He said that he'd actually been trying to have 6.001 replaced for the last ten years (and I read somewhere that Professor Abelson was behind the move too). Understanding the principles is not essential for an introduction to the subject matter anymore. He sees 6.001 as obsolete
. - ^ Martin, Edward C (2009-07-20). "Schools". Schemers. Retrieved 2011-06-28.
- ^ http://eduapps.mit.edu/textbook/books.html?Term=2016SP&Subject=6.945
- ^ Kilov, Haim (November 1986). "Structure and Interpretation of Computer Programs". Byte. p. 70.