On Analyzing the Impact of Authors and Their Collaboration Patterns in the Major Computer Algorithms Research Conferences

An algorithm represents the computer-based road map for accomplishing a given, well-defined task. In general, computer algorithms form one of the core practical technologies of computer science. In principle, research in theoretical computer science focuses on the design and analysis of algorithms and data structures, as well as the study of fundamental barriers to efficient computation. The research community of this field has been significantly growing in the last decade. In general, in the computer science field, disseminating research outcomes is an integral part of a scholar’s professional career. The preference for conference publications is motivated by many arguments such as the high dynamism of the field requiring shorter turnaround time between submission; the prestige associated with publishing at highly-selective venues. We analyze the publications of three top-tier computer algorithms research conferences (SODA, ICALP and SOCG) over the last two decades (1995 - 2014). In particular, we report the list of the scholars who have the highest number of publications for each venue separately and when combined. We also analyze the co-authors relationships to understand their research collaborations. Finally, we study the increase in the number of publications and the size of the research community in the last two decades.