The next SISSA Colloquium will be held on Monday, June 9 2025, at 14:00 in Aula Magna Budinich, with a lecture by Bernd Sturmfels (Max Planck Institute for Mathematics in the Sciences, Leipzig, and University of California, Berkeley) titled
"The Quadratic Formula Revisited".
Abstract:
High school students learn to express the solution of a quadratic equation in one unknown in terms of its three coefficients. Why does this formula matter? This lecture will provide an answer in terms of discriminants and data, inviting the audience on a journey into non-linear algebra.
Bernd Sturmfels is a mathematician renowned for his influential work at the interface of algebraic geometry, combinatorics, and computational mathematics. His contributions span fields such as algebraic geometry, commutative algebra, discrete geometry, Gröbner bases, toric varieties, tropical geometry, algebraic statistics, and computational biology. With numerous research papers and foundational books to his name, Sturmfels has mentored a generation of mathematicians. His work is celebrated for its deep theoretical insights and practical applications in mathematics and the sciences.