“Combinatorial Algorithms,” the 4th Volume of Knuth’s seminal work, The Art of Computer Programming, has been a long time in the making (Volume 3 was published in 1973), but it is now available for pre-order from Amazon. TAOCP is widely regarded as the most comprehensive book on its topic and is included in GrokCode’s list of essential books for programmers.

If Computer Science has one definitive text, then TAOCP is it. So if you don’t have a copy in your library already, now is as good a time as any to pick it up.

You can pre-order Volumes 1-4A of TAOCP from Amazon now. All Amazon pre-orders come with a price guarantee, so if the price drops before the book ships, you will automatically get the lower price.

The boxed set includes Volume 1: Fundamental Algorithms, Volume 2: Seminumerical Algorithms, Volume 3: Sorting and Searching, plus the new Volume 4A: Combinatorial Algorithms.

The 4th volume is the first part in a series on Combinatorial Algorithms. Its coverage begins with Boolean functions and bitwise tricks and techniques, then treats in depth the generation of all tuples and permutations, all combinations and partitions, and all trees.

Here is the full table of contents for the new volume:

Volume 4A: Combinatorial Algorithms, Part 1

• 1. Introduction
     • 7.1. Zeros and ones
     • 7.1.1. Boolean basics
     • 7.1.2. Boolean evaluation
     • 7.1.3. Bitwise tricks and techniques
     • 7.1.4. Binary decision diagrams * 7.2. Generating all possibilities
     • 7.2.1. Combinatorial generators
       • 7.2.1.1. Generating all n-tuples
       • 7.2.1.2. Generating all permutations
       • 7.2.1.3. Generating all combinations
       • 7.2.1.4. Generating all partitions
       • 7.2.1.5. Generating all set partitions
       • 7.2.1.6. Generating all trees
       • 7.2.1.7. History and further references