The "Foundation series" is a science fiction saga written by Isaac Asimov. It originally began as a series of short stories published in the 1940s and was later compiled into a set of novels. The series explores the rise and fall of a galactic empire and the efforts of a group of scientists to preserve knowledge and culture through a concept called psychohistory, which uses mathematics to predict the future of large populations. The central character, Hari Seldon, is a mathematician who foresees the impending collapse of the Galactic Empire. To mitigate the chaos that will follow, he establishes the Foundation, a group tasked with preserving human knowledge and guiding the future. The series delves into themes of power, history, and the cyclical nature of civilizations.