focs-topic-selection
Use when deciding whether a theoretical-computer-science result belongs at FOCS (IEEE Symposium on Foundations of Computer Science) — testing foundations-level significance, weighing the April deadline against sibling theory venues like STOC, SODA, CCC, ITCS, or CRYPTO, and applying the CFP's broaden-the-reach clause.
Profile →npx skills add brycewang-stanford/Awesome-Journal-Skills --skill focs-topic-selection --agent claude-code
Same command for any agent — swap --agent for codex, cursor, copilot.
Weekly change comes from our own snapshots, not the repository page — it measures attention, not adoption.
# FOCS Topic Selection FOCS asks for "new and original research on theory of computation" and explicitly welcomes papers that broaden the reach of the theory of computing or raise important problems that can benefit from theoretical investigation (FOCS 2026 CFP, checked 2026-07-08 via `focs.computer.org/2026/call-for-papers-2/`). The selection question is therefore two-dimensional: is this a theorems paper whose significance survives a committee drawn from every corner of TCS, and is the April-anchored IEEE cycle the right launch window for it? ## The significance test a FOCS PC applies A foundations flagship rewards results that change what other theoreticians can prove, not results that only optimize inside one subcommunity's parameter chart. Before committing to the April deadline, answer three questions in writing: 1. **Consequence:** name a problem *outside* your immediate subarea that becomes easier, or a belief that must be revised, if your theorem holds. 2. **Obstacle:** state what stood in the way — a known barrier, a stuck parameter regime, a missing structural insight — and how your technique gets past it. 3. **Durability:** would the result still be cited if the constan
- The significance test a FOCS PC applies
- Routing across the theory ecosystem
- Timing logic from the FOCS seat
- The broaden-the-reach lane
- Common misroutes seen from the FOCS seat
- Quick self-diagnosis
What does the focs-topic-selection skill do?
Use when deciding whether a theoretical-computer-science result belongs at FOCS (IEEE Symposium on Foundations of Computer Science) — testing foundations-level significance, weighing the April deadline against sibling theory venues like STOC, SODA, CCC, ITCS, or CRYPTO, and applying the CFP's broaden-the-reach clause.
How do I install it?
Run `npx skills add brycewang-stanford/Awesome-Journal-Skills --skill focs-topic-selection --agent claude-code` — it drops the skill into your project so the agent can pick it up. Swap the --agent value for codex, cursor or copilot if you use one of those.
Where does this skill come from?
From brycewang-stanford/Awesome-Journal-Skills, a repository with 984 stars. We read it straight from the repository tree rather than a submitted listing, so what you see here is what is actually published.
Is a popular skill a good skill?
Not necessarily. Stars measure attention, not adoption — a repository can trend for a week and be abandoned. That is why we show the weekly change from our own snapshots next to the total, instead of a single flattering number.