Mathematics Can Be This Warm
Ralf Korn has inspired, promoted and enthused many people for financial mathematics in teaching and research. This was clearly demonstrated to the participants of the workshop on the occasion of his 60th birthday. Each speech contained personal anecdotes from the collaboration, which impressively demonstrated how cordial the interaction among mathematicians can be.»You have shaped my life,« said Dr. habil. Jörg Wenzel, head of the department »Financial Mathematics« at Fraunhofer ITWM. »You are humble, collegial and cool. I have rarely experienced professors who have been groundbreaking and the guiding figure for so many as you!« He welcomed the attendees together with Prof. Dr. Jörn Saß from the Department of »Mathematics« at RPTU, who emphasized the ease in the jubilarian's interaction with all people.
Prototype of a Teacher
The people who delivered the greetings also had personal words: Prof. Dr. Arnd Poetzsch-Heffter, Co-President of RPTU in Kaiserslautern, looked back on two common decades as »colleagues, companions, friends and fellow travelers« and summarized: »If one could carve Professors, you would be the prototype!«
Dr. habil. Christoph Lossen and Prof. Dr. Sven O. Krumke, managing director and dean of the department »Mathematics« at the RPTU in Kaiserslautern brought impressive figures, among others: 84 diploma theses, 109 master theses, 22 bachelor theses and 60 doctoral theses have been supervised by Ralf Korn and he has taken about 1200 oral examinations at the RPTU Kaiserslautern since 2006.
Head of institute at Fraunhofer ITWM, Prof. Dr. Anita Schöbel, emphasized Korn's expertise and commitment in numerous fields and also added a very personal view: »You are not only a super professor and colleague, who always has advice and also sometimes brings heated discussions back on track in a factual way; but also the best office neighbor one could wish for!«
Many former students accepted the invitation to the Fraunhofer Center and reported on their current work environment. A workshop that not only impressively demonstrated the diversity of financial mathematics – but above all the extensive influence of Ralf Korn beyond the borders of Kaiserslautern mathematics!
Fraunhofer Institute for Industrial Mathematics ITWM
