About our research

At the BARC centre, we are engaged with basic research in the design and analysis of algorithms, including complexity studies of when good algorithms are not possible. Algorithms are the fundamental framework of computer science for expressing, discovering, and explaining problem-solving mechanisms. Basic research in algorithms consists of the exploration of the possibilities and limits of this framework.

As a scientific discipline, it uses the language and methods of mathematics. At the same time, because algorithms play a fundamental role in information technology, many algorithmic discoveries have immediate and wide-ranging practical applications.

Algorithms research is methodologically rich and draws on a wide range of contributions from many other disciplines, often requiring a fresh idea or a particularly original insight.

Much of basic research in algorithms is a science of methods rather than data: Algorithms are universal and not tied to a specific problem domain - the strengths of algorithmic discoveries typically lie in their general applicability and data independence.

Rather than narrow methodological traditions and application domains, one of the principles for guiding our methodological and thematic attention is the pursuit of general impact, both within the scientific disciplines concerned with theories of computation but also on external stakeholders.