Journal profile · Computer Science, Theory & Methods
Theory of Computing Systems
ISSN 1432-4350 · eISSN 1433-0490 · Springer US · GERMANY · Bimonthly · Founded 1967
Theory of Computing Systems: CAS Zone 4 · Computer Science (2025 upgraded edition); impact factor 0.58; hybrid open access; APC about USD 3,190; median 248 days to acceptance (50 articles, last 24 months); community-reported acceptance: easy; 40 articles in 2025; indexed in SCIE and Scopus.
Scope
Aims, scope and focus
Theory of Computing Systems is published by Springer US and is in Zone 4 of Computer Science in the CAS Journal Ranking (2025 upgraded edition). By OpenAlex counts of its recent articles, its largest topics are semigroups and automata theory, Complexity and Algorithms in Graphs and Computability, Logic, AI Algorithms, together about 32.4% of its articles. Its main subfields are Computational Theory and Mathematics and Artificial Intelligence. (generated from OpenAlex topic counts and CAS ranking data)
Theory of Computing Systems (TOCS) is devoted to publishing original research from all areas of theoretical computer science, ranging from foundational areas such as computational complexity, to fundamental areas such as algorithms and data structures, to focused areas such as parallel and distributed algorithms and architectures. Topics include theoretical aspects of the following items: Algorithmic game theory Algorithmic graph theory Algorithmic information theory Algorithmic logic Algorithmic semigroup theory Algorithms analysis Algorithms for compressed structures Applied graph theory Approximation algorithms Automata theory Automated logic reasoning Broadcasting algorithms Combinatorial optimization Combinatorial pattern matching Communication complexity Communication networks Computational complexity Computational learning theory Computational molecular biology Computational social choice theory Data compression Data structures and algorithms Database theory Distributed algorithms Distributed computing Dynamic data structures Effective mathematics Exact algorithms External memory algorithms Faulty-tolerance and robustness Formal language theory Formal verification Foundations of machine learning Graph algorithms Graph theory Information visualization Kolmogorov complexity Logic Memory hierarchy algorithms Mobile computing Models of computation Network algorithms Network models Online algorithms Online learning algorithms Parallel algorithms Parallel computing Parameterized complexity Private multi-party communication Programming languages Quantum computing Randomized algorithms Routing algorithms Scheduling Search algorithms Streaming algorithms String algorithms Structural complexity Sublinear algorithms Text indexing
From the journal's Aims & Scope
Research area (LetPub): Computer Science, Theory & Methods
Editor-in-chief Mitsunori OgiharaPublisher website
Editorial board by country: 2 in mainland China (about 6%); most named United States 6, United Kingdom 4, France 4, Italy 3, Australia 3 (31 members with a country) Editorial board ↗Publisher website ·
Main research topics OpenAlex counts of recent articles; shares are approximate
- semigroups and automata theoryComputer Science14%
- Complexity and Algorithms in GraphsComputer Science10.5%
- Computability, Logic, AI AlgorithmsComputer Science7.9%
- Advanced Graph Theory ResearchComputer Science7.9%
- Algorithms and Data CompressionComputer Science7.2%
- Optimization and Search ProblemsComputer Science5.9%
- Logic, programming, and type systemsComputer Science4.4%
- Formal Methods in VerificationComputer Science4%
Rankings & indexing
CAS ranking and database indexing
CAS Journal Ranking
CAS Journal Ranking, upgraded edition (March 2025)Computer Science Zone 4
| Level | Category | Zone |
|---|---|---|
| Major | Computer Science | Zone 4 |
| Minor | Computer Science, Theory & Methods | Zone 4 |
| Minor | Mathematics | Zone 4 |
Top journal: noReview journal: no
CAS Xinrui Journal Ranking (March 2026)Computer Science Zone 4
| Level | Category | Zone |
|---|---|---|
| Major | Computer Science | Zone 4 |
| Minor | Computer Science, Theory & Methods | Zone 4 |
| Minor | Mathematics | Zone 4 |
Top journal: noReview journal: not marked
CAS Journal Ranking, previous upgraded edition (December 2023)Computer Science Zone 4
| Level | Category | Zone |
|---|---|---|
| Major | Computer Science | Zone 4 |
| Minor | Computer Science, Theory & Methods | Zone 4 |
| Minor | Mathematics | Zone 4 |
Top journal: noReview journal: no
Database indexing
SCIEScopusLetPub
International journal early-warning lists: not listed in any editionLetPub
Indexing the journal's website claims
EI CompendexINSPECzbMATHDBLPCurrent ContentsPublisher website
Other: Google Scholar, EBSCO, ProQuest, Dimensions, CNKI, Baidu, ACM Digital Library, Naver, OCLC, Portico, CLOCKSS
As the journal's website lists them, not checked against each database; for Web of Science editions the records above apply.
Editions, and major and minor categories, are shown separately and never merged into one zone; check which edition your institution uses before you submit or report.
Metrics
Impact metrics and publication volume
Impact
- Impact factor
- 0.58LetPub ·
- Impact factor (publisher) 2025
- 0.6Publisher website ·
- 5-year impact factor (publisher) 2025
- 0.7Publisher website ·
- CiteScore 2026-06
- 1.3LetPub ·
- SJR 2026-06
- 0.3LetPub ·
- SNIP 2026-06
- 0.64LetPub ·
- h-index
- 37LetPub ·
- h-index
- 90OpenAlex ·
- i10-index
- 960OpenAlex ·
- 2-year mean citedness
- 1.35OpenAlex ·
- Self-citation rate
- 0%LetPub ·
- Share of gold OA articles
- 50.88%LetPub ·
Volume
- Articles per year
- 37LetPub ·
- Downloads per year (publisher) 2025
- 157,000Publisher website ·
Articles by year OpenAlex count · 2,482 in total · the current year is incomplete
| Year | Articles | Open access | Citations |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 42 | 23 | 8 |
| 2025 | 40 | 25 | 33 |
| 2024 | 42 | 27 | 126 |
| 2023 | 43 | 27 | 55 |
| 2022 | 49 | 24 | 122 |
| 2021 | 44 | 32 | 178 |
Sources count differently and were observed at different times, so each source's own value is kept; "publisher" marks figures from the journal's website.
Review & acceptance
Review time and acceptance
Review time from article dates manuscript dates registered with Crossref · to
248 daysMedian, submission to acceptance · P25–P75 172 days – 390 days
- Acceptance to online
- median 30 days (88 articles)
- Submission to online
- median 326 days
- Sample
- 50 articles with submission and acceptance dates (96 in the window); the latest was accepted on
Only articles that were accepted and published are counted, not the time spent on rejected manuscripts, so this usually runs longer than a publisher's "time to first decision".
Other sources
- Average review time (community reports)
- 6–12 weeksLetPub ·
- Average acceptance (community reports)
- EasyLetPub ·
- Submission to first decision
- 5 daysPublisher website ·
- Peer review
- Single anonymous peer review, Double anonymous peer reviewPublisher website
Community reports come from authors' own submissions (confidence 0.5) and are not a promise from the journal; for publisher figures, the journal's own definitions apply.
Fees & open access
APC and open-access policy
Hybrid open accessLetPub
A subscription journal in which authors can pay to publish their article open access.
| Source | APC | Fee waiver | License | Observed |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| OpenAlex | USD 3,190 / EUR 2,590 / GBP 2,290 | — | — | |
| Publisher website | No APC | — | — |
A hybrid journal charges the APC only when the author chooses open access; publishing under the subscription model is usually free.
The journal's website is authoritative for fees; sources were observed at different times and each keeps its own value, without averaging.
Submission
Article types and submission policies (journal website)
What to prepare4 items from the author guidelines
- Abstract
- 150–250 words
- Keywords
- ≥ 4
- Reference style
- Numbered, in order of citation
- Suggested reviewers
- Optional
Policy excerpts from the journal's websiteAI use, Authorship, Conflicts of interest, Data availability, Publication ethics, License & copyright, Open access, Peer review
- AI use Generative AI Images
Please check Springer’s policy on generative AI images and make sure your work adheres to the principles described therein. Back to top
Source ↗Publisher website ·- Authorship Authorship principles
LaTeX submission only; Word not accepted Model summary
These guidelines describe authorship principles and good authorship practices to which prospective authors should adhere to. Authorship clarified The Journal and Publisher assume all authors agreed with the content and that all gave explicit consent to submit and that they obtained consent from the responsible authorities at the institute/organization where the work has been carried out, before th…
Source ↗Publisher website ·- Conflicts of interest Disclosures and declarations
All authors are requested to include information regarding sources of funding, financial or non-financial interests, study-specific approval by the appropriate ethics committee for research involving humans and/or animals, informed consent if the research involved human participants, and a statement on welfare of animals if the research involved animals (as appropriate). The decision whether such …
Source ↗Publisher website ·- Data availability Data availability statements
Data transparency policy Model summary
All original research must include a data availability statement. This statement should explain how to access data supporting the results and analysis in the article, including links/citations to publicly archived datasets analysed or generated during the study. Please see our full policy here. If it is not possible to share research data publicly, for instance when individual privacy could be com…
Source ↗Publisher website ·- Publication ethics Compliance with Ethical Standards
To ensure objectivity and transparency in research and to ensure that accepted principles of ethical and professional conduct have been followed, authors should include information regarding sources of funding, potential conflicts of interest (financial or non-financial), informed consent if the research involved human participants, and a statement on welfare of animals if the research involved an…
Source ↗Publisher website ·- License & copyright Copyright
Open Choice articles do not require transfer of copyright as the copyright remains with the author. In opting for open access, the author(s) agree to publish the article under a Creative Commons license. Details of the OA licences offered to authors can be found on the individual journal website, in the journal's How to publish with us guide. Back to top
Source ↗Publisher website ·- Open access Open access publishing
No submission or publication fee; OA option requires APC Model summary
To find out more about publishing your work Open Access in Theory of Computing Systems, including information on fees, funding and licences, visit our Open access publishing page. Back to top
Source ↗Publisher website ·- Peer review Single-blind peer review
Peer review type: single-blind Model summary
This journal follows a single-blind reviewing procedure. This journal also publishes special/guest-edited issues. The peer review process for these articles is the same as the peer review process of the journal in general. Additionally, if a guest editor authors an article in their issue/collection, they will not handle the peer review process. Back to top
Source ↗Publisher website ·
Excerpts are quoted from the journal's website; "model summary" lines are written by Workers AI and checked against the text. The journal's website is authoritative.
Profile
Publication details and official links
- Publisher
- Springer US
- Country or region
- GERMANY
- Language
- English
- Frequency
- Bimonthly
- Founded
- 1967
- ISSN
- 1432-4350
- Electronic ISSN
- 1433-0490
- Official links
- Journal homepage ↗OpenAlex
- Submission system ↗Publisher website
- Author guidelines ↗LetPub
- Special issues ↗Publisher website
FAQ
Frequently asked questions about Theory of Computing Systems
What CAS zone is Theory of Computing Systems in?
In the 2025 upgraded edition of the CAS Journal Ranking, Theory of Computing Systems is in Zone 4 of Computer Science, and in Zone 4 of the minor category Computer Science, Theory & Methods / Mathematics. In the 2026 Xinrui edition it is in Zone 4 of Computer Science. Zones from different editions, and from major and minor categories, are not interchangeable.
What is the impact factor of Theory of Computing Systems?
The latest impact factor listed by LetPub is 0.58; CiteScore 1.3, h-index 90.
How long does peer review take at Theory of Computing Systems?
Based on the dates recorded on 50 articles published between October 2024 and October 2026 (the last 24 months), the median time from submission to acceptance is 248 days (interquartile range 172–390 days); authors report an average review time of 6–12 weeks; the community-reported acceptance is “Easy”. Article statistics cover accepted papers only, publisher figures follow the journal's own definitions, and community reports come from authors' own submissions; none is a promise from the journal.
What are the manuscript requirements of Theory of Computing Systems?
According to the journal's author guidelines: Abstract: 150–250 words; Keywords: ≥ 4; Reference style: Numbered, in order of citation; Suggested reviewers: Optional. A model extracted these from the author guidelines and each was checked against the text; check the latest version on the journal's website before submitting.
Where are the editorial board members of Theory of Computing Systems based?
Of the 31 board members whose country the journal's board page names, 2 (about 6%) are in mainland China; the countries named most often are United States (6), United Kingdom (4) and France (4). Counted from the institutions listed on the board page; for reference only.
Which databases index Theory of Computing Systems?
According to LetPub and DOAJ records, Theory of Computing Systems is indexed in SCIE and Scopus. The journal's website also lists EI Compendex, INSPEC, zbMATH, DBLP and Current Contents; that list has not been checked against each database.
Is Theory of Computing Systems open access, and what is the APC?
Theory of Computing Systems is a hybrid journal. For open-access publication: APC about USD 3,190.
Sources and updates
The facts on this page come from LetPub, OpenAlex, Publisher website; every figure is tagged with its source and the date it was observed, and conflicting values are kept per source. LetPub source page: view ↗ (archived 2026-08-28). Last updated: .