ALGOUK - A Network for Algorithms and Complexity in the UK

The notion of an algorithm is perhaps the key foundational concept in Computer Science, with the measurement of the resources used by algorithms and their implementations, that is, their computational complexity, central to their study and application. As the amount of available data explodes across science, technology, and society, and new potential applications emerge, never has it been so important that research in algorithmics, the science of algorithms, translates into effective implementations and that the weight of algorithmics research is brought to bear on new potential applications. Algorithmics is absolutely central within modern-day Computer Science.

Research in algorithmics has two broad strands: obtaining better and better upper bounds as regards the resources used within a solution to a given problem; and proving better and better lower bounds as to the resources required for any such solution. The study of upper bounds obviously translates into practical advances; however, so can the study of lower bounds, and more generally complexity-theoretic (completeness) results, in areas such as cryptography and pseudorandomness. The real-world interface with algorithmics inspires new algorithmic analyses, when, for instance, new problems are thrown up or new practically-imposed restrictions forbid existing methodologies; in addition, complexity-theoretic completeness results for real-world problems inspire the search for new heuristic, randomized, approximate, and fixed-parameter algorithms that translate to effective practical solutions.

The study of algorithmics traditionally takes place within Theoretical Computer Science although there are myriad interfaces both within Computer Science and without.
However, often deep theoretical insights and advances do not rapidly percolate 'upwards' into real-world implementations and 'sideways' into other academic domains. On the other hand, algorithmic problems emerging within industry, science, and society do not always percolate 'downwards' to the theoreticians who have the tools and techniques to provide improved algorithmic solutions. Moreover, the boundary between Computer Science and other subjects is becoming ever more fluid; for instance, aspects of computation are becoming increasingly embedded in core Mathematics and new algorithmic aspects of topics such as combinatorics, probability, algebra, and topology, are rapidly emerging.

In short, there are massive opportunities for research in algorithmics to be transformative across science, technology, and society. The key aim of the AlgoUK network of researchers is to facilitate multi-faceted interactions within the UK's algorithmic research community and also inter-disciplinary interactions between these researchers and those in industry and other subjects such as Mathematics, Biology, and Chemistry. The founding research groups, and hosting sites for the workshops, are at Durham, Kings College London, Leicester, Liverpool, Royal Holloway, and Warwick, but the network is open to all who wish to engage with it.

Algorithmics is pervasive both within Computer Science and in the applications and interfaces of Computer Science with technology and society. It can be a long journey from some of the mathematically and theoretically involved research undertaken within algorithmics through to applications of this research. However, there have been a number of successes from within the UK algorithmics community. ALGOUK will better enable the wider UK algorithmics community to engage in developing impact. Our plans for creating pathways to impact are intrinsically embedded within our network and its activities. We draw out some of these pathways below.

Inter-disciplinary and industrial workshop themes: Each network workshop will have an inter-disciplinary or industrial theme associated with the talks on the first day, that will provide a natural attractor to those within this theme but outside the mainstream algorithmics community. Our inter-disciplinary themes should be seen as increasing awareness and facilitating a first step along the pathway to impact by taking algorithmics research into a discipline that is much closer to impact and applications. However, on occasion, we also bring other researchers, such as pure mathematicians, closer to impact (in, for example, data science). Of course, we will invite key theme researchers to our network meetings as speakers and participants.

Supported engagement: In order to build upon new possibilities that will arise at a workshop, we intend to support the development of these activities over the subsequent six month period. We will facilitate meetings and feed the development of activities back to the network at the next workshop.

Focal point: Our network will provide a focal point for external partners, including all non-algorithmic researchers (from Computer Science, other disciplines, and industry) to engage with the UK algorithmics community. This engagement will be facilitated by a web-portal which will disseminate the activities of the network and also call for participation in upcoming workshops. We reiterate that our network is intended to be inclusive and to work for the whole of the UK algorithmics community.

Communication with agencies: Our network, when it is working on behalf of the UK algorithmics community, will be ideally placed so as to respond to consultations, e.g., for REF or UKCRC, and to communicate community views to funders, e.g., EPSRC. Such communication will both better inform the agencies involved and encourage the participation of individual researchers who might not have otherwise expressed their opinions. Our network will also be able to continually monitor the health of UK algorithmics with regard to ensuring that the UK has the critical mass in algorithmics in order to contribute to the modern technological agenda.