THEORETICAL COMPUTER SCIENCE

Theoretical Computer Science is mathematical and abstract in spirit, but it derives its motivation from practical and everyday computation. Its aim is to understand the nature of computation and, as a consequence of this understanding, provide more efficient methodologies. All papers introducing or studying mathematical, logic and formal concepts and methods are welcome, provided that their motivation is clearly drawn from the field of computing.Any queries about submissions and peer review should be addressed to the TCS editorial office: tcs@elsevier.com.Papers published in Theoretical Computer Science are grouped in three sections according to their nature. The first section `Algorithms, automata, complexity and games' is devoted to the study of algorithms and their complexity using analytical, combinatorial or probabilistic methods. It includes the whole field of abstract complexity (i.e. all the results about the hierarchies that can be defined using Turing machines), the whole field of automata and language theory (including automata on infinite words and infinitary languages), the whole field of geometrical (graphic) applications and the whole field of measurement of system performance using statistical methods.The second section,`Logic, semantics and theory of programming', is devoted to formal methods to check properties of programs or implement formally described languages; it contains all papers dealing with semantics of sequential and parallel programming languages. All formal methods treating these problems are published in this section, including rewriting techniques, abstract data types, automatic theorem proving, calculi such as SCP or CCS, Petri nets, new logic calculi and developments in categorical methods.The third section, 'Natural Computing', is devoted to the study of computing occurring in nature and computing inspired by nature. In the rapidly evolving field of computer science, natural computing plays an important role as the catalyst for the synergy of human designed computing with the computing going on in nature. This synergy leads to a deeper and broader understanding of the nature of computation. Although natural computing is concerned also with experiments and applications, this section of Theoretical Computer Science is focused on the theoretical aspects of natural computing with clear relevance to computing. Among others, it will contain papers dealing with the theoretical issues in evolutionary computing, neural networks, molecular computing, and quantum computing.

理论计算机科学在精神上是数学的、抽象的，但它是从实践和日常计算中获得动力的。其目的是了解计算的性质，并因此提供更有效的方法。所有介绍或研究数学、逻辑和形式概念和方法的论文都是受欢迎的，前提是它们的动机明显来自计算领域。有关提交和同行评审的任何疑问应发送至TCS编辑办公室：tcs@elsevier.com。理论计算机科学发表的论文根据其性质分为三个部分。第一部分“算法、自动机、复杂性和游戏”主要研究使用分析、组合或概率方法的算法及其复杂性。它包括整个领域的抽象复杂的层次结构(即所有的结果可以定义使用图灵机),整个自动机和语言理论(包括自动机在无限词汇和infinitary语言),整个几何(图形)应用程序和整个测量系统性能使用统计方法。第二部分“逻辑、语义学和编程理论”专门介绍检查程序属性或实现正式描述语言的形式方法；它包含了所有涉及顺序和并行编程语言语义学的论文。所有处理这些问题的形式化方法都发表在本节中，包括重写技术、抽象数据类型、自动定理证明、计算（如scp或ccs）、Petri网、新逻辑计算和分类方法的发展。第三部分“自然计算”专门研究自然中发生的计算和受自然启发的计算。在计算机科学快速发展的领域中，自然计算作为人类设计计算与自然计算协同作用的催化剂发挥着重要作用。这种协同作用使人们对计算的本质有了更深入、更广泛的理解。虽然自然计算也与实验和应用有关，但这一部分理论计算机科学的重点是自然计算的理论方面，与计算有着明显的相关性。除此之外，它还将包含有关进化计算、神经网络、分子计算和量子计算等理论问题的论文。