All thinkers

Edsger W. Dijkstra: 2 puzzles worth knowing

2 puzzles from Edsger W. Dijkstra, each explained in a minute and credited to the original work. Free on Savvy.

• The Dining Philosophers' Deadlock

  Five philosophers sit around a circular table, alternating between thinking and eating a spaghetti dish that requires two forks. There is exactly one fork between each pair of neig…

  — Edsger W. Dijkstra, Hierarchical Ordering of Sequential Processes

• A barbershop has one barber, one chair, and a few waiting seats. How do you avoid chaos?

  A barbershop has a single barber, one barber chair, and a small waiting room with a few chairs. If no customers are around, the barber sleeps in his chair. When a customer arrives,…

  — Edsger W. Dijkstra, Cooperating Sequential Processes

Five ideas worth knowing, every week

The week's best cards and a puzzle, credited as always. Free, unsubscribe any time.

Subscribe