The Journal

Aim and scope

Established in 2004, Theory of Computing (ToC) is a diamond open-access journal dedicated to the widest dissemination of research in theoretical computer science. Diamond open access means the journal is free to authors (there are no "article processing charges") and free to readers (all content is available without charge to anyone). Users are allowed to read, download, copy, distribute, print, search, or link to the full texts of the articles, or use them for any other lawful purpose, without asking prior permission from the publisher or the author, in accordance with the Budapest Open Access Initiative definition of open access. Authors retain copyright under a Creative Commons license.

The scientific content of ToC is guaranteed by a world-class editorial board and a rigorous single-blind peer review process. The journal is endorsed by ACM SIGACT, the leading global organization of researchers in theoretical computer science. It is a member of the Free Journal Network and is indexed by Scopus, the Web of Science, and DBLP, among others.

The journal is hosted by the Episciences platform for overlay journals which is kindly provided by the French Center for Direct Scientific Communication, with additional computational support from the Department of Computer Science of the University of Chicago. We are in the process of posting the articles on arXiv to guarantee indefinite preservation and periodic adaptation to new technologies.

Through our volunteer work, we aim to provide the community with a diamond open access journal of the highest scientific quality, offering an alternative to commercial and society-owned journals.

The Editors (Last updated October 18, 2025).

Furthers informations

Publishing policies

Editorial definition

  • Title: Theory of Computing (ToC)
  • Year of creation: 2005
  • Periodicity: Continous
  • Publisher: Theory of Computing Exchange
    • Adress: University of Chicago, Dept of Computer Science, 1100 E 58th St #152, Chicago, IL
    • Country: USA
  • Director of publication: László Babai
  • Contact: toc@episciences.org
  • Contact person: 
  • eISSN: 1557-2862

Copyright and distribution policy

  • Copyright for articles published in Theory of Computing is retained by the authors. By submitting a paper to Theory of Computing, the authors agree that if the paper is accepted for publication by Theory of Computing, the published article will be subject to the Agreement.
  • The Agreement stipulates licensing under a  Creative Commons Attribution License and, in addition, governs corrections and republication. The Creative Commons Attribution License grants general rights to store, publish, distribute, access, and make commercial use of the article, so long as the original authors and source (Theory of Computing) are properly cited and the copyright notice is retained.

Publication fee policy

  • Theory of Computing is free of charge for both authors and readers.
  • Submission fee: no.

Peer review process

  • Single blind peer review.

Self-archiving policy

Published version

  • Rights holder: Author
  • License: CC BY
  • Authorised locations:
    • Open access on the journal’s website
    • Any website
  • Conditions: The original publication in the journal must be cited.

Accepted or submitted version

  • Rights holder: Author
  • Licence: CC BY
  • Permitted locations: Any website
  • Conditions: The original publication in the journal must be cited.