How to Choose Research Topics: Richard M Karp

Choosing an interesting and potential area of research is a challenge. With myriad of emerging areas and rapid development it is often confusing. For such people here is a guiding principles from Richard M Karp who has made many other important discoveries in computer science and operations research in the area of combinatorial algorithms. His major current research interests include bioinformatics.

Three principles

• Understand what you are good at and what you like to do, and choose accordingly. In the words of Socrates, " Know thyself"
• Disregard the fashions of the day and search for new areas of research that are about to become important. In the words of the great hockey player, " Skate to where the puck is going to be"
• To find exciting problems , look at the interfaces between disciplines