July 8, 2019
Peter Bürgisser is a professor of mathematics at the Technical University of Berlin. He is known for his work on algebraic and geometric complexity theory, on which he has written two monographs. Part of his current research focusses on designing and analyzing numerical algorithms, where the complexity analysis is done in terms of a condition number, and which is the topic of his recent monograph "Condition'' written with Felipe Cucker.
The goal of understanding the typical behavior of such algorithms naturally leads to questions (and challenges) in a fascinating emerging field that may be called random real algebraic geometry, and where random objects take the role of generic objects. A recent and new research direction of his is to explore computational invariant theory through methods of numerical optimization.
He recently visited MPI MiS during the "Summer School on Randomness and Learning in Non-Linear Algebra" and he was one of the keynote speakers. Besides mathematics, Peter loves classical music, especially the great works of J.S. Bach.