BIOGRAPHY

SF Math Circle Instructor

Matthias Beck, Ph.D.

Matthias Beck spent his undergraduate years in Würzburg, Germany, where he studied secondary education and also enjoyed a short-lived career as a street musician. He got his Ph.D. at Temple University, and after postdoctoral positions at Binghamton University (SUNY), the Mathematical Sciences Research Institute, and the Max Planck Institute for Mathematics, he is now an Assistant Professor at San Francisco State University. His research is in discrete & computational geometry and analytic number theory. Particular interests include counting integer points (think of those as "grid points" of your favorite lattice) in polytopes (geometric objects bounded by straight lines, planes, and hyperplanes) and the application of these enumeration functions to various combinatorial and number-theoric topics and problems. When he is not counting, he enjoys teaching and mentoring students, biking, travelling, and hanging out with his wife Tendai.

Official Website: http://math.sfsu.edu/beck