The doctoral degree sub auspiciis Praesidentis rei publicae was conferred upon Christian Friedrich Krattenthaler at the University of Vienna in 1983. This distinction marked the beginning of a sustained career in discrete mathematics, specifically within the complex domain of combinatorial enumeration, where his research methods have intersected with fields ranging from algebra and number theory to statistical physics and computer science.
Academic Career and Research
Before assuming a permanent professorship at the University of Vienna in 2005, Krattenthaler held positions at the University of California, San Diego, and the Mathematical Sciences Research Institute in Berkeley. His international experience included appointments at the University of Strasbourg and Claude Bernard University Lyon 1. His scholarly contributions are rooted in combinatorial enumeration, where he examines structures that underpin diverse scientific applications. From 2016 until 2020, he served as the Dean of the Faculty of Mathematics at the University of Vienna, prior to his retirement in 2024.
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Krattenthaler has received multiple accolades for his mathematical contributions. In 1990, he was awarded the Prize of the Austrian Mathematical Society. The Austrian Science Fund granted him the Wittgenstein Award in 2007. His standing in the global academic community is reflected in his memberships, including the Austrian Academy of Sciences, where he became a corresponding member in 2005, and the Academia Europaea, which he joined as a full member in 2011. He was named a Fellow of the American Mathematical Society in 2012 and received an honorary doctorate from Paris 13 University in 2015.
Musical Background
Parallel to his scientific trajectory, Krattenthaler maintained a formal engagement with music. He studied piano at the Hochschule für Musik und Darstellende Kunst Wien, now known as the University of Music and Performing Arts Vienna, under the instruction of Hans Graf. He obtained a concert diploma in 1986. Until 1991, he participated in professional performances as a soloist and chamber musician, working alongside partners including Bernhard Biberauer, Alfred Hertel, Peter Siakala, Anton Straka, Herwig Tachezi, and Thomas C. Wolf. He ceased all concert activities in 1991 following the onset of a chronic medical condition affecting his hands.
Fast facts
- Born: 8 October 1958, Vienna
- Doctoral advisor: Johann Cigler
- Dissertation: Lagrangeformel und inverse Relationen
- Retirement: 2024
- Wittgenstein-Prize recipient: 2007
- Honorary doctorate: Paris 13 University, 2015
- Primary area of study: Combinatorics
- Citizenship: Austria
Questions readers ask
What was the focus of Krattenthaler's doctoral research?
His 1983 dissertation focused on Lagrange formula and inverse relations.
Why did Krattenthaler end his career as a concert pianist?
He stopped performing in 1991 due to an irreversible chronic medical condition in his hands.
Achievements
- Wittgenstein-Prize — 2007
- Held posts at University of Vienna
- Fields: combinatorics
