A Perspective on Theoretical Computer Science in Latin America

Theoretical computer science is everywhere, for TCS is concerned with the foundations of computing and computing is everywhere! In the last three decades, a vibrant Latin American TCS community has emerged: here, we describe and celebrate some of its many noteworthy achievements. Computer science became a distinct academic discipline in the 1950s and early 1960s. The first CS department in the U.S. was formed in 1962, and by the 1970s virtually every university in the U.S. had one. In contrast, by the late 1970s, just a handful of Latin American universities were actively conducting research in the area. Several CS departments were eventually established during the late 1980s. Often, theoreticians played a decisive role in the foundation of these departments. One key catalyst in articulating collaborations among the few but growing number of enthusiastic theoreticians who were active in the international academic arena was the foundation of regional conferences.