Optimal Code Generation for Expression Trees
Alfred V. Aho, S. C. Johnson · Journal of the ACM · 1976
This paper discusses algorithms which transform expression trees into code for register machines. A necessary and sufficient condition for optimality of such an algorithm is derived, which applies to a broad class of machines. A dynamic programming algorithm is then presented which produces optimal code for any machine in this class; this algorithm runs in time linearly proportional to the size of the input.