Theory Research
What is Theoretical Computer Science?
Theoretical computer science is the study of the fundamental principles, limits, and possibilities of computation. It focuses on key areas such as:
- Algorithms: instructions for performing a specific task or solving a problem
- Computational complexity: resources needed to perform tasks or solve problems
- Randomness in computing: values or sequences that lack a discernible pattern
These concepts have important applications in many fields, including mathematics (like combinatorics), voting systems (computational social choice), cybersecurity (cryptography), economics, and data prediction models such as Markov chains.
Areas of Focus
Our computer scientists are leading cutting-edge research to:
- Analyze algorithms in theoretical computer science to understand their performance, problem-solving efficiency, reductions, and heuristic methods
- Explore computational social choice theory to improve the fairness, accuracy, and complexity analysis of voting systems and election models
- Investigate graph algorithms and visualization techniques by solving problems related to curves on surfaces and complex graph structures
- Research randomness, counting, and Markov chains in computer science using probabilistic models, counting classes, and computational resource limits
- Develop secure computing systems through cryptography research, including one-way functions, pseudorandom generators, and fault-tolerant methods
- Apply algorithmic game theory and optimization techniques—such as sampling, strategy modeling, and stochastic programming—to solve real-world decision-making problems

Cracking Computational Challenges
Theory Research at Rochester
At the University of Rochester, theoretical computer science research combines rigorous mathematical foundations with interdisciplinary applications. The theory group explores a broad range of topics—from complexity of elections and database query models to graph algorithms and cryptography—within a small, close-knit faculty–student environment.
Theoretical Computer Science Researchers
Meet the faculty at the forefront of theoretical computer science research.

Hemaspaandra, Lane A.
Professor of Computer Science
- Office Location
- 2317 Wegmans Hall
- Web Address
- Website
Interests: Computational social choice (elections, preference aggregation, power indices, etc.); Computational complexity theory (counting-based computation, probabilistic computation, unambiguous computation, the importance of query order when accessing databases, the study of efficient algorithms for complex sets, complexity-theoretic aspects of security, fault-tolerance, and data compression, etc.)

Hosseini, Kaave
Assistant Professor of Computer Science
- Office Location
- 2507 Wegmans Hall
- Web Address
- Website
Interests: Theoretical computer science; Additive combinatorics; Pseudorandomness; Discrete Fourier analysis

Kahng, Anson
Assistant Professor of Computer Science and Data Science
- Office Location
- 2401 Wegmans Hall
- Web Address
- Website
Interests: Computational social choice; Democracy and computer science; Economics and computation; Artificial intelligence; Theoretical computer science; Algorithmic game theory

Liang, Jiaming
Assistant Professor of Computer Science and Data Science
- Office Location
- 2403 Wegmans Hall
- Web Address
- Website
Interests: Mathematical and numerical optimization; Sampling algorithms; Stochastic programming; Algorithmic game theory

Polak, Monika
Associate Professor of Computer Science (Instruction)
- Office Location
- 2201 Wegmans Hall
- Web Address
- Website
Interests: Cryptography; Quantum-Resistant Cryptography; Algebraic Graph Theory; Extremal Graph Theory; Pseudorandomness; Coding Theory

Read-McFarland, Andrew
Assistant Professor of Computer Science (Instruction)
- Office Location
- 2105 Wegmans Hall
- Web Address
- Website

Seiferas, Joel I.
Professor Emeritus of Computer Science
- Web Address
- Website
Interests: Theoretical computer science; Computational complexity; Algorithms; Automata

Stefankovic, Daniel
Professor of Computer Science
- Office Location
- 2315 Wegmans Hall
- Web Address
- Website
Interests: Theoretical computer science: graph theory, combinatorics, Fourier transform, Markov chains/counting, learning theory, phylogeny, game theory, graph equations, routing

Zhupa, Eustrat
Assistant Professor of Computer Science (Instruction)
- Office Location
- 2107 Wegmans Hall
- Telephone
- (585) 275-9499
- Web Address
- Website