Algorithmic meta theorems are algorithmic results that apply to whole families of combinatorial problems, instead of just specific problems. These families are usually defined in terms of logic and graph theory. An archetypal algorithmic meta theorem is Courcelle's Theorem, which states that all graph properties definable in monadic second-order logic can be decided in linear time on graphs of bounded tree width.

This article is an introduction into the theory underlying such meta theorems and a survey of the most important results in this area.