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FOCS Computational Experiments & Proofs

brycewang-stanfordbybrycewang-stanford
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Learning & Documentation

Guides theoretical computer science researchers in appropriately integrating computer-assisted proofs, discovered constructions, and illustrative plots into FOCS paper submissions.

The FOCS Experiments skill helps authors navigate the nuanced role of computation in theoretical computer science papers submitted to the IEEE Symposium on Foundations of Computer Science (FOCS). Since FOCS evaluates submissions based on mathematical theorems without requiring empirical benchmarks, this skill provides clear criteria for handling machine-verified case analyses, computer-discovered mathematical objects, and pedagogical plots. It outlines verification protocols, reproducibility standards, and disclosure norms to ensure computational elements strengthen formal rigor rather than trigger referee skepticism.

Key Features

01Categorizes computational evidence into rigorous proof steps, discovered objects, and illustrative plots
02Outlines guidelines for pedagogical plotting without triggering inappropriate empirical benchmarking standards
03Provides verification patterns for machine-checked proofs, including independent auditor scripts and hashing
04Includes venue decision rules to differentiate theory proofs from algorithm-engineering submissions
05Establishes ethical and reporting norms for computer- and AI-assisted mathematical discovery
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Use Cases

01Structuring a reproducible, auditor-friendly certificate for a computer-assisted lemma or exhaustive case analysis
02Refining figures and algorithmic visualizations to ensure they teach without mimicking empirical performance benchmarks
03Documenting candidate gadgets or extremal structures found via SAT solvers, heuristic search, or LLMs in a theory paper