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TAOCP study plan

A dated plan for The Art of Computer Programming, Volumes 1 to 4B: 117 weeks, about one section a week, each linked to its reading guide with picked exercises. It is the Knuth part of the cracked.guide path on its own.

One week of the path each week: 145 weeks, about 2.8 years.

Volume	Weeks	Starts	Ends
Vol 1: Fundamental Algorithms	1 to 35	Oct 26, 2026	Jun 27, 2027
Vol 2: Seminumerical Algorithms	36 to 61	Jun 28, 2027	Dec 26, 2027
Vol 3: Sorting and Searching	62 to 89	Dec 27, 2027	Jul 9, 2028
Vol 4A: Combinatorial Algorithms, Part 1	90 to 105	Jul 10, 2028	Oct 29, 2028
Vol 4B: Combinatorial Algorithms, Part 2	106 to 117	Oct 30, 2028	Jan 21, 2029

Week by week

Week	Dates	Sections
1	Mon, Oct 26 to Sun, Nov 1	1.1 Algorithms
2	Mon, Nov 2 to Sun, Nov 8	1.2.1 Mathematical Induction
3	Mon, Nov 9 to Sun, Nov 15	1.2.2 Numbers, Powers, and Logarithms
4	Mon, Nov 16 to Sun, Nov 22	1.2.3 Sums and Products
5	Mon, Nov 23 to Sun, Nov 29	1.2.4 Integer Functions and Elementary Number Theory
6	Mon, Nov 30 to Sun, Dec 6	1.2.5 Permutations and Factorials
7	Mon, Dec 7 to Sun, Dec 13	1.2.6 Binomial Coefficients (part 1)
8	Mon, Dec 14 to Sun, Dec 20	1.2.6 Binomial Coefficients (part 2)
9	Mon, Dec 21 to Sun, Dec 27	1.2.7 Harmonic Numbers
10	Mon, Dec 28 to Sun, Jan 3	1.2.8 Fibonacci Numbers
11	Mon, Jan 4 to Sun, Jan 10	1.2.9 Generating Functions
12	Mon, Jan 11 to Sun, Jan 17	1.2.10 Analysis of an Algorithm
13	Mon, Jan 18 to Sun, Jan 24	1.2.11 Asymptotic Representations
14	Mon, Jan 25 to Sun, Jan 31	1.3.1 Description of MIX
15	Mon, Feb 1 to Sun, Feb 7	1.3.2 The MIX Assembly Language
16	Mon, Feb 8 to Sun, Feb 14	1.3.3 Applications to Permutations
17	Mon, Feb 15 to Sun, Feb 21	1.4.1 Subroutines
18	Mon, Feb 22 to Sun, Feb 28	1.4.2 Coroutines
19	Mon, Mar 1 to Sun, Mar 7	1.4.3 Interpretive Routines
20	Mon, Mar 8 to Sun, Mar 14	1.4.4 Input and Output 1.4.5 History and Bibliography
21	Mon, Mar 15 to Sun, Mar 21	2.1 Introduction 2.2.1 Stacks, Queues, and Deques
22	Mon, Mar 22 to Sun, Mar 28	2.2.2 Sequential Allocation
23	Mon, Mar 29 to Sun, Apr 4	2.2.3 Linked Allocation
24	Mon, Apr 5 to Sun, Apr 11	2.2.4 Circular Lists
25	Mon, Apr 12 to Sun, Apr 18	2.2.5 Doubly Linked Lists
26	Mon, Apr 19 to Sun, Apr 25	2.2.6 Arrays and Orthogonal Lists
27	Mon, Apr 26 to Sun, May 2	2.3.1 Traversing Binary Trees
28	Mon, May 3 to Sun, May 9	2.3.2 Binary Tree Representation of Trees
29	Mon, May 10 to Sun, May 16	2.3.3 Other Representations of Trees
30	Mon, May 17 to Sun, May 23	2.3.4 Basic Mathematical Properties of Trees (part 1)
31	Mon, May 24 to Sun, May 30	2.3.4 Basic Mathematical Properties of Trees (part 2)
32	Mon, May 31 to Sun, Jun 6	2.3.5 Lists and Garbage Collection
33	Mon, Jun 7 to Sun, Jun 13	2.4 Multilinked Structures
34	Mon, Jun 14 to Sun, Jun 20	2.5 Dynamic Storage Allocation
35	Mon, Jun 21 to Sun, Jun 27	2.6 History and Bibliography Vol 1 review
36	Mon, Jun 28 to Sun, Jul 4	3.1 Introduction
37	Mon, Jul 5 to Sun, Jul 11	3.2.1 The Linear Congruential Method
38	Mon, Jul 12 to Sun, Jul 18	3.2.2 Other Methods
39	Mon, Jul 19 to Sun, Jul 25	3.3.1 General Test Procedures
40	Mon, Jul 26 to Sun, Aug 1	3.3.2 Empirical Tests
41	Mon, Aug 2 to Sun, Aug 8	3.3.3 Theoretical Tests
42	Mon, Aug 9 to Sun, Aug 15	3.3.4 The Spectral Test
43	Mon, Aug 16 to Sun, Aug 22	3.4.1 Numerical Distributions
44	Mon, Aug 23 to Sun, Aug 29	3.4.2 Random Sampling and Shuffling
45	Mon, Aug 30 to Sun, Sep 5	3.5 What Is a Random Sequence? 3.6 Summary
46	Mon, Sep 6 to Sun, Sep 12	4.1 Positional Number Systems
47	Mon, Sep 13 to Sun, Sep 19	4.2.1 Single-Precision Calculations
48	Mon, Sep 20 to Sun, Sep 26	4.2.2 Accuracy of Floating Point Arithmetic
49	Mon, Sep 27 to Sun, Oct 3	4.2.3 Double-Precision Calculations 4.2.4 Distribution of Floating Point Numbers
50	Mon, Oct 4 to Sun, Oct 10	4.3.1 The Classical Algorithms
51	Mon, Oct 11 to Sun, Oct 17	4.3.2 Modular Arithmetic
52	Mon, Oct 18 to Sun, Oct 24	4.3.3 How Fast Can We Multiply?
53	Mon, Oct 25 to Sun, Oct 31	4.4 Radix Conversion
54	Mon, Nov 1 to Sun, Nov 7	4.5.1 Fractions 4.5.2 The Greatest Common Divisor
55	Mon, Nov 8 to Sun, Nov 14	4.5.3 Analysis of Euclid's Algorithm
56	Mon, Nov 15 to Sun, Nov 21	4.5.4 Factoring into Primes
57	Mon, Nov 22 to Sun, Nov 28	4.6.1 Division of Polynomials
58	Mon, Nov 29 to Sun, Dec 5	4.6.2 Factorization of Polynomials
59	Mon, Dec 6 to Sun, Dec 12	4.6.3 Evaluation of Powers
60	Mon, Dec 13 to Sun, Dec 19	4.6.4 Evaluation of Polynomials
61	Mon, Dec 20 to Sun, Dec 26	4.7 Manipulation of Power Series Vol 2 review
62	Mon, Dec 27 to Sun, Jan 2	5.1.1 Inversions
63	Mon, Jan 3 to Sun, Jan 9	5.1.2 Permutations of a Multiset
64	Mon, Jan 10 to Sun, Jan 16	5.1.3 Runs
65	Mon, Jan 17 to Sun, Jan 23	5.1.4 Tableaux and Involutions
66	Mon, Jan 24 to Sun, Jan 30	5.2.1 Sorting by Insertion
67	Mon, Jan 31 to Sun, Feb 6	5.2.2 Sorting by Exchanging
68	Mon, Feb 7 to Sun, Feb 13	5.2.3 Sorting by Selection
69	Mon, Feb 14 to Sun, Feb 20	5.2.4 Sorting by Merging
70	Mon, Feb 21 to Sun, Feb 27	5.2.5 Sorting by Distribution
71	Mon, Feb 28 to Sun, Mar 5	5.3.1 Minimum-Comparison Sorting
72	Mon, Mar 6 to Sun, Mar 12	5.3.2 Minimum-Comparison Merging 5.3.3 Minimum-Comparison Selection
73	Mon, Mar 13 to Sun, Mar 19	5.3.4 Networks for Sorting
74	Mon, Mar 20 to Sun, Mar 26	5.4.1 Multiway Merging and Replacement Selection
75	Mon, Mar 27 to Sun, Apr 2	5.4.2 The Polyphase Merge 5.4.3 The Cascade Merge
76	Mon, Apr 3 to Sun, Apr 9	5.4.4 Reading Tape Backwards 5.4.5 The Oscillating Sort
77	Mon, Apr 10 to Sun, Apr 16	5.4.6 Practical Considerations for Tape Merging
78	Mon, Apr 17 to Sun, Apr 23	5.4.7 External Radix Sorting 5.4.8 Two-Tape Sorting
79	Mon, Apr 24 to Sun, Apr 30	5.4.9 Disks and Drums 5.5 Summary, History, and Bibliography
80	Mon, May 1 to Sun, May 7	6.1 Sequential Searching
81	Mon, May 8 to Sun, May 14	6.2.1 Searching an Ordered Table
82	Mon, May 15 to Sun, May 21	6.2.2 Binary Tree Searching
83	Mon, May 22 to Sun, May 28	6.2.3 Balanced Trees
84	Mon, May 29 to Sun, Jun 4	6.2.4 Multiway Trees
85	Mon, Jun 5 to Sun, Jun 11	6.3 Digital Searching
86	Mon, Jun 12 to Sun, Jun 18	6.4 Hashing (part 1)
87	Mon, Jun 19 to Sun, Jun 25	6.4 Hashing (part 2)
88	Mon, Jun 26 to Sun, Jul 2	6.5 Retrieval on Secondary Keys
89	Mon, Jul 3 to Sun, Jul 9	Vol 3 review
90	Mon, Jul 10 to Sun, Jul 16	7 Combinatorial Searching intro (part 1)
91	Mon, Jul 17 to Sun, Jul 23	7 Combinatorial Searching intro (part 2)
92	Mon, Jul 24 to Sun, Jul 30	7.1.1 Boolean Basics (part 1)
93	Mon, Jul 31 to Sun, Aug 6	7.1.1 Boolean Basics (part 2)
94	Mon, Aug 7 to Sun, Aug 13	7.1.2 Boolean Evaluation
95	Mon, Aug 14 to Sun, Aug 20	7.1.3 Bitwise Tricks and Techniques (part 1)
96	Mon, Aug 21 to Sun, Aug 27	7.1.3 Bitwise Tricks and Techniques (part 2)
97	Mon, Aug 28 to Sun, Sep 3	7.1.4 Binary Decision Diagrams (part 1)
98	Mon, Sep 4 to Sun, Sep 10	7.1.4 Binary Decision Diagrams (part 2)
99	Mon, Sep 11 to Sun, Sep 17	7.2.1.1 Generating All n-Tuples
100	Mon, Sep 18 to Sun, Sep 24	7.2.1.2 Generating All Permutations
101	Mon, Sep 25 to Sun, Oct 1	7.2.1.3 Generating All Combinations
102	Mon, Oct 2 to Sun, Oct 8	7.2.1.4 Generating All Partitions
103	Mon, Oct 9 to Sun, Oct 15	7.2.1.5 Generating All Set Partitions
104	Mon, Oct 16 to Sun, Oct 22	7.2.1.6 Generating All Trees
105	Mon, Oct 23 to Sun, Oct 29	7.2.1.7 History and Further References Vol 4A review
106	Mon, Oct 30 to Sun, Nov 5	Mathematical Preliminaries Redux
107	Mon, Nov 6 to Sun, Nov 12	7.2.2 Backtrack Programming (part 1)
108	Mon, Nov 13 to Sun, Nov 19	7.2.2 Backtrack Programming (part 2)
109	Mon, Nov 20 to Sun, Nov 26	7.2.2.1 Dancing Links (part 1)
110	Mon, Nov 27 to Sun, Dec 3	7.2.2.1 Dancing Links (part 2)
111	Mon, Dec 4 to Sun, Dec 10	7.2.2.1 Dancing Links (part 3)
112	Mon, Dec 11 to Sun, Dec 17	7.2.2.1 Dancing Links (part 4)
113	Mon, Dec 18 to Sun, Dec 24	7.2.2.2 Satisfiability (part 1)
114	Mon, Dec 25 to Sun, Dec 31	7.2.2.2 Satisfiability (part 2)
115	Mon, Jan 1 to Sun, Jan 7	7.2.2.2 Satisfiability (part 3)
116	Mon, Jan 8 to Sun, Jan 14	7.2.2.2 Satisfiability (part 4)
117	Mon, Jan 15 to Sun, Jan 21	Vol 4B review

Questions

How long does it take to work through TAOCP?

About 117 weeks at one section a week and 8 to 12 hours a week, about 2.2 years. At half pace, twice that.

Do I need Crafting Interpreters first?

Not to use this plan. The full cracked.guide path puts it first so you arrive at Knuth writing a lot of code in Java and C.