Learn Russian: Завтра мы исследуем эту проблему. - We will investigate this problem tomorrow.

The verb исследовать is biaspectual, meaning it functions as both the imperfective and perfective aspect without changing its base form. When conjugated with non-past endings (исследую, исследуешь, etc.), it can mean either an ongoing action right now (present imperfective) or a completed action in the future (simple future perfective). Here, the time marker завтра resolves the ambiguity, clearly signaling the future perfective.

Could I say завтра мы будем исследовать эту проблему instead?

Yes, you can! Because исследовать also serves as an imperfective verb, you can form the compound future tense (будем + infinitive). Using будем исследовать emphasizes the ongoing process of investigating tomorrow. By using the simple form мы исследуем in this sentence, the focus shifts to the completion or the intended result of the investigation.

Since исследовать is biaspectual, does it lack a prefixed perfective form entirely?

Technically yes, it doesn't need a prefix to be perfective. However, native Russian speakers naturally prefer distinct perfective forms. Because of this tendency, you might occasionally hear informally prefixed versions like поисследовать (to investigate for a bit) or related verbs like обследовать (to examine or physically inspect). In standard contexts like this sentence, however, исследовать remains the correct form for both aspects.

Why does the verb stem change to исследуем instead of исследоваем?