The Alan T. Waterman Award was granted to Herbert Edelsbrunner in 1991, distinguishing him as one of the first three computer scientists to receive the honor from the National Science Foundation. Born in Graz in 1958, he developed a significant career spanning both academic research in computational geometry and the commercial application of shape modeling software.
Academic Foundations and Early Research
Herbert Edelsbrunner completed his education at the Graz University of Technology, earning a Diplom in 1980 and a Ph.D. in 1982. His doctoral research, supervised by Hermann Maurer, focused on intersection problems within the field of computational geometry. Following a period as an assistant professor in Graz, he transitioned to international faculty positions, joining the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign in 1985 and later Duke University in 1999.
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His research contributions encompass diverse areas including Delaunay triangulation, point location, interval trees, fractional cascading, and protein docking. Additionally, their work on alpha shapes provides a method for creating multiscale approximations of three-dimensional point clouds by utilizing a variable radius parameter.
Professional Contributions and Recognition
Edelsbrunner has authored four textbooks, including Algorithms in Combinatorial Geometry, published in 1987, which served to systematize the field. His body of work includes over 100 research publications. In 1996, he co-founded Geomagic, a firm dedicated to developing shape modeling software. Since August 2009, he has served as a professor at the Institute of Science and Technology Austria in Klosterneuburg. His career has been marked by multiple distinctions, including the 2018 Wittgenstein-Prize and an honorary doctorate from the Technical University of Graz. He is a member of the Austrian Academy of Sciences, the German Academy of Sciences Leopoldina, and the Academia Europaea.
Fast facts
- Born: 1958, Graz, Austria
- Education: Graz University of Technology
- Alan T. Waterman Award: 1991
- Wittgenstein-Prize: 2018
- Company founded: Geomagic
- Current institution: Institute of Science and Technology Austria
Questions readers ask
What is the focus of Herbert Edelsbrunner's research?
He specializes in computational geometry, with significant work in alpha shapes, simulation of simplicity, and algorithmic robustness.
Where does he currently hold a professorship?
He is a professor at the Institute of Science and Technology Austria, a position he has held since August 2009.
Achievements
- Wittgenstein-Prize — 2018
- Held posts at University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign and Duke University
