Because Asimov wrote the series over several decades, there are two primary ways to read it:
A roadmap designed to shorten the upcoming "dark ages" from 30,000 years to just 1,000 years after the inevitable fall of the Galactic Empire.
A mathematical science developed by Hari Seldon that predicts the behavior of large populations over centuries.
Foundation (Основание / Академия / Фонд)