Complexity of computation, circuit complexity, boolean function complexity, theory of automata, mathematical logic, theory of algorithms.
Professor Barrington's current research is in complexity theory, examining the resources needed by various abstract computing devices, both sequential and parallel, to solve various mathematical problems. In particular, Professor Barrington has discovered new relationships between combinatorial complexity (circuits and branching programs), the theory of finite automata and definability by first-order logic.
Ph.D., Mathematics, Massachusetts Institute of Technology (1986), B.A., Mathematics and Physics, Amherst College (1981). Professor Barrington has been on the faculty of the University of Massachusetts Amherst since 1986, and is currently a Professor of Computer Science.
Professor Barrington was named a UMass Amherst Lilly Fellow for 1994-1995.