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Welcome to the Algebra Group at the University of Innsbruck!
Our research focuses on Real Algebra and Geometry, with connections to Convexity and Optimization, Operator Algebra, Category Theory and Theoretical Quantum Physics. Real Algebraic Geometry studies semialgebraic sets over the reals or general real closed fields. In algebraic terms, one studies nonnegative polynomials on such sets, and describes them as (generalized) sums of squares. This approach goes back to Hilbert’s 17th Problem. It helps understanding semialgebraic sets and establishes a close connection to optimization, mostly via semidefinite programming. There are also connections to Operator Algebra and Theoretical Quantum Physics, via non-commutative semialgebraic sets and non-commutative notions of convexity. We also study Category Theory and its applications, for example to Probability.
If you want to know more, or have questions concerning these topics, feel free to contact us.
News
- Successful FWF Project March 2023
The Project Proposal Semialgebraic Operator Algebra With Applications by Tim Netzer has been approved by the Austrian Science Fund (FWF). We look forward to working on this exciting topic during the following years. - New paper 27 January 2023
New paper Classifying Linear Matrix Inequalities via Abstract Operator Systems by Martin Berger, Tom Drescher and Tim Netzer. - New paper 19 January 2023
New paper on Asymptotic and Catalytic Matrix Majorization by Tobias Fritz et. al. - Successful PhD defense by Martin Berger 25 November 2022
Martin Berger has successfully defended his PhD thesis, titled "On the Free Carathéodory Number and Operator Systems over the Cone of Positive Semidefinite Matrices". In his thesis he studied different concepts from quantum information theory in the context of free semialgebraic geometry and operator algebra. We congratulate Martin to this great success! - New paper 8 November 2022
New paper on Dilations and Information Flow Axioms in Categorical Probability by Tobias Fritz et. al. - New paper 30 September 2022
New paper on Polynomial Equations over Algebras by Maximilian Illmer and Tim Netzer. - Atlas der guten Lehre 27 September 2022
The module Lineare Algebra und Analytische Geometrie 1 has been included into Atlas der guten Lehre. Thanks for this honor! - New paper 22 September 2022
New paper on Magic squares: Latin, Semiclassical and Quantum by Gemma De las Cuevas, Tim Netzer and Inga Valentiner-Branth. - New paper 19 August 2022
New paper on A hierarchy of semidefinite programs for generalised Einstein-Podolsky-Rosen scenarios by Matty Hoban, Tom Drescher and Ana Belén Sainz. - New paper 13 July 2022
New paper on The D-Separation Criterion in Categorical Probability by Tobias Fritz and Andreas Klingler. - New paper 24 June 2022
New paper on Non-Abelian ε-Homology by Tobias Fritz. - Successful FWF Project May 2022
The Project Proposal Probability and Statistics with Markov Categories by Tobias Fritz has been approved by the Austrian Science Fund (FWF). The group looks forward to working on this exciting topic during the following years. - New paper 24 May 2022
New paper on Asymptotic and Catalytic Containment of Representations of 𝖲𝖴(n) by Tobias Fritz. Read it here. - Article in The Science Breaker May 2022
We have written a short article in The Science Breaker, explaining our paper on Quantum Magic Squares. - Successful PhD defense by Paria Abbasi 25 February 2022
Paria Abbasi has successfully defended her PhD thesis, titled "Approximation Techniques for Positive Matrices". In her thesis she studied the convex cone of completely positive semidefinite matrices and the corresponding notion of rank. We congratulate her to this great success! - Joint group retreat with the Mathematical Quantum Physics group at Maria Waldrast 16 February - 18 February 2022 (picture)
- New papers 14 December 2021
Two new papers on Vergleichsstellensätze by Tobias Fritz. Read them here and here. - Some media coverage November 2020
Our recent paper on Quantum Magic Squares has attracted some interest in the media. See here, here and here. - We are happy to announce that Tobias Fritz has joined our department 1 October 2020
Tobias has accepted a tenure track position in Computational Algebraic Geometry. This winter he will teach the Algebra 1 course. You can find him in room 722b in our institute. Welcome! - We started recording and sharing lectures on Linear Algebra (in German) for the upcoming Winter Term 25 September 2020
Watch them here. - DOC-Scholarship for Martin Berger 3 June 2020
Martin Berger has been awarded a DOC-Scholarship by the Austrian Academy of Sciences. He will be funded for two years to carry out his research on foundations of free algebraic statistics, starting in Fall 2020. We congratulate him on this great success and look forward to working with him in the coming years!
- Due to the current situation, if you have any questions or concerns regarding your studies, please do not hesitate to contact us!
- Successful PhD defense by Philipp Jukic 11 March 2020
Philipp Jukic's PhD thesis, titled "Stability of Non-Commutative Quadratic Modules", was written under the supervision of Tim Netzer. It examines the important notion of stability of quadratic modules, for which only a commutative theory existed so far, in the context of non-commutative algebras. Today he completed his doctoral degree with a successful defense. We congratulate him on this great success! - Joint group retreat with the Mathematical Quantum Physics group at Maria Waldrast 20 February - 22 February 2020 (picture)
- Martha Lewis gives a talk on Compositional Hyponymy with Positive Operators in the Mathematical Quantum Physics group 5 February 2020 (2S17)
- Our group visits the workshop "Algebraic Geometry in Austria" Seewalchen am Attersee, 9 January - 11 January 2020
- Alexander Müller-Hermes visits our group, seminar talk on June 12 12 June - 14 June 2019
- Our group visits the conference Arctic Applied Algebra 1 April - 5 April 2019 (picture)
- Andreas Thom visits our group 18 February - 22 February 2019
- Seminar talk of Marek Kaluba 31 January 2019
- DOC-Scholarship for Paria Abbasi 12 December 2018
Paria Abbasi has been awarded a DOC-Scholarship by the Austrian Academy of Sciences. She will be funded for three years to carry out her research project on completely positive semidefinite matrices, starting in Spring 2019. We congratulate her on this great success and look forward to working with her in the coming years.
- Successful PhD defense by Tom Drescher 24 September 2018
Tom Drescher's PhD thesis, titled "Free Convex Semi-Algebraic Geometry - The Limits of Quantifier Elimination, Projection Properties, and Operator Systems", was written under the joint supervision of Tim Netzer and Andreas Thom. It examines non-commutative semialgebraic sets from a viewpoint of model theory and functional analysis. Today he completed his doctoral degree with a successful defense. We congratulate him on this great success!
- Successful FWF Project 1 January 2017
Our FWF Project Free Semialgebraic Geometry and Convexity has been approved by the Austrian Science Fund (FWF) under project number P 29496-N35. We look forward to working on this exciting topic during the following three years.