Knuth, "The Early Development of Programming Languages" (1977/2003)

@incollection{knuth_early_2003,
	address = {Stanford, {CA}},
	series = {{CSLI} lecture notes},
	title = {The Early Development of Programming Languages},
	isbn = {1575863820},
	lccn = {QA76.7 .K63 2003},
	number = {no. 139},
	booktitle = {Selected Papers on Computer Languages},
	publisher = {{CSLI} Publications},
	author = {Knuth, Donald E.},
	year = {2003}
}

• On assignment expressions: “[T]he systematic use of assignments constitutes a distinct break between computer-science thinking and mathematical thinking” [@knuth_early_2003, 12]. The flow diagrams described by Goldstine and von Neumann in Planning and Coding of Problems for an Electronic Computing Instrument (1947-48) “represent a transition point between the mathematical ‘equality’ notation and the computer-science ‘assignment’ operation” [@knuth_early_2003, 14].