Wolfgang Lück was born in Herford, Germany, on 19 February 1957. He emerged as a scholar of algebraic topology, securing a doctorate under the supervision of Tammo tom Dieck at the University of Göttingen in 1984. His subsequent career involved holding professorships at several German and American institutions, focusing on geometric and group-theoretic properties of manifolds.
Academic Career Trajectory
Lück completed his Abitur at the Ravensberger Gymnasium in 1975 before beginning his higher education at the University of Göttingen. He earned his Diplom in 1981 and eventually completed his Habilitation in 1989. His professional path included an associate professorship at the University of Kentucky from 1990 to 1991. He served as a professor at Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz until 1996, followed by a tenure at the University of Münster that lasted until 2010. Since 2010, he has maintained a professorship at the University of Bonn.
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His research focuses on the theory of L2-invariants, including L2-cohomology and L2-Betti numbers of manifolds, which find utility in geometry and group theory. These concepts originated from the work of Michael Atiyah and utilize operator algebras. Alongside various coauthors, Lück achieved progress in resolving specific cases of the Borel and Farrell-Jones conjectures. His published works include titles such as Transformation groups and algebraic K-theory and L2-Invariants: Theory and Applications to Geometry and K-Theory.
Institutional Leadership and Honors
Beyond his teaching and research, Lück participated in scientific administration. He served as president of the German Mathematical Society between 2009 and 2010, following a vice-presidency that began in 2006. He directed the Hausdorff Research Institute for Mathematics in Bonn from 2011 to 2017 and acted as spokesperson for the Hausdorff Center for Mathematics from 2019 to 2022. Professional recognition includes the Max Planck Research Award in 2003, the Gottfried Wilhelm Leibniz Prize in 2008, the von Staudt Prize in 2025, and fellowship in the American Mathematical Society starting in 2012.
Fast facts
- Born: 19 February 1957, Herford, Germany
- Education: University of Göttingen
- Current Position: Professor at the University of Bonn
- Major Recognition: Gottfried Wilhelm Leibniz Prize (2008)
- Professional Membership: German Academy of Sciences Leopoldina
- Academic Focus: Algebraic Topology
- Fellowship: American Mathematical Society (2012)
Questions readers ask
Which universities has Wolfgang Lück served as an employer?
He has held positions at the University of Göttingen, the University of Kentucky, the University of Mainz, the University of Münster, and the University of Bonn.
What major research areas does he cover?
His work centers on algebraic topology, the development of L2-invariants, and the resolution of cases concerning the Farrell-Jones and Borel conjectures.
Achievements
- Gottfried Wilhelm Leibniz Prize — 2008
- Held posts at University of Bonn, Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz and University of Münster
