Theoretical Foundations (TF)

The Theoretical Foundations (TF) cluster is the sucessor to the Formal and Mathematical Foundations cluster which was described in the solicitation, NSF 04-520. Projects supported in the TF cluster seek to determine inherent limits of computation and communication, and to obtain optimal solutions within those limits. They address fundamental issues of information science and technology, both within computation and communications and at the interface between these and other disciplines. The cluster is broadly concerned with problems of information processing that fall within the extremes of purely theoretical studies and applications within disciplines. Research and education projects sponsored by the cluster bring advanced capabilities from computer science, scientific computing, communication theory, signal processing theory, mathematics, and application areas to bear on fundamental problems throughout science and engineering. The cluster also solicits proposals to produce innovative curricula or educational materials to help advance the training of new experts in theoretical foundations of computing and communication.