Theoretical informatics is a scientific field, the subject of study of which is information and information processes , in which the invention is implemented and the creation of new means of working with information. This is a unit of general computer science and mathematics that focuses on the more abstract or mathematical aspects of computing and includes the theory of algorithms.
Like any fundamental science , theoretical informatics (in close interaction with philosophy and cybernetics ) is engaged in creating a system of concepts, identifying common patterns that allow us to describe information and information processes that occur in various fields (in nature, society, the human body, technical systems).
It is not easy to accurately describe the scope of this theory. ACM SIGACT ( Association for Computing Machinery Special Interest Group on Algorithms and Computation Theory ), a subgroup of ACM, describes science as supporting theoretical informatics and notes:
The field of theoretical informatics is widely interpreted and includes algorithms, data structures, computational complexity theory, distributed computing, parallel computing, VLSI (ultra-large integrated circuit), machine learning, computational biology, computational geometry, information theory, cryptography, quantum computing, number theory , algebra and calculation theory (symbolic calculations), semantics and verification of programming languages, the theory of automata, and also the theory of random processes. Work in this area is often distinguished by an emphasis on mathematical technology and rigor.
To this list, the scientific journal ACM Transactions on Computation Theory (TOCT) also adds coding theory, theory of computational training, and aspects of theoretical computer science in fields such as databases, information retrieval, economic models, and networks. Despite such a wide field of activity, computer theorists distinguish themselves from practitioners. Some characterize themselves as those who do "a more fundamental scientific work that underlies the field of computer technology." Other "practical theorists" insist that it is impossible to separate theories from practice. This means that theorists regularly use experimental science, which is carried out in less theoretical areas, such as the study of software systems.