Elite Program TopMath

The structure of the TopMath Program consists of:

• Elite Master Study Program in Mathematics (PreDoc- and Masterphase)

and

• Doctoral Program in Mathematics (Doctoralphase)

TopMath begins with enrollment on a research-oriented elite Master’s course. The first two semesters (PreDoc phase) are usually devoted to finding and becoming involved in challenging research-oriented work in mathematics and preparing participants for the transition to the doctoral program. In this phase, students follow a tailor-made curriculum comprising of lectures, seminars and individual research. From the beginning, they are integrated into the scientific community by their mentoring professor.

From the second year of study onwards, the elite Master’s program and the doctoral program are completed simultaneously.

After these two years, TopMath students are expected to complete their Master’s thesis and concentrate on their doctoral project, which usually takes another four semesters.

You can choose from: 

• Professors and assistant professors of the Department of Mathematics at the TUM
• All professors and assistant professors of the Faculty of Mathematics at the University of Augsburg
• Some professors and assistant professors with a secondary appointment in the Department of Mathematics:
  • Scientific Computing: Prof. Dr. Hans-Joachim Bungartz
  • Computer Vision: Prof. Dr. Daniel Cremers
  • Foundations of Software Reliability and Theoretical Computer Science: Prof. Dr. Javier Esparza
  • Theoretical Computer Science: Prof. Dr. Susanne Albers
  • Decision Science and Systems: Prof. Dr. Felix Brandt
  • Complex Networks: Prof. Dr. Clemens Thielen

TopMath Board

The TopMath-Board is responsible for the professional supervision of the programm. This executive committee specifically ensures the expertise of all persons who are involved in this project, and their compliance with the requirements of the curriculum. It is also in charge of the further development of TopMath.

Members of the TopMath-Board:

• Prof. Marco Cicalese (Speaker, Department of Mathematics, Technical University of Munich)
• Prof. Dr. Bernd Schmidt (Deputy speaker, University of Augsburg)
• Prof. Dr. Felix Brandt (Department of Informatics, Technical University of Munich)
• Prof. Dr. Mirjam Dür (University of Augsburg)
• Prof. Dr. Christian Kühn (Department of Mathematics, Technical University of Munich)
• Prof. Dr. Nina Gantert (Department of Mathematics, Technical University of Munich)
• Dr. Carl-Friedrich Kreiner (Department of Mathematics, Technical University of Munich)

Coordination and Advisory Service

For the coordination of the program, quality control measures, organization of workshops, and seminars during vacation within the network of the participating universities and research institutions, as well as the coordination of activities aimed to provide interdisciplinary basic knowledge, the following persons are responsible:

• Dr. Katja Kröss (Coordinator)
• Dr. Carl-Friedrich Kreiner (Study advisor)

Student and doctoral representatives

Since October 1st, 2022, the student and doctoral student representatives of the elite program TopMath are:

• Chris Dong (also doctoral representative at the TUM School of Computation, Information and Technology)
• Katja Ettmayr

The student and doctoral representatives of the elite program are invited to the meetings of the TopMath Board as guests.

Integration within the TUM Graduate School

The former Thematic Graduate Center TopMath (TGC TopMath) has been part of the Graduate Center of the TUM School of Computation, Information and Technology since October 1st, 2022. The Graduate Center CIT (GC-CIT) is integrated into the TUM Graduate School (TUM-GS).