Andrea Walther

Andreas Griewank passed away suddenly and unexpectedly on September 16, 2021, at the age of 71. We mourn the loss of an outstanding, internationally recognized mathematician whose groundbreaking contributions in algorithmic/automatic differentiation (AD) shaped the field of modern-day optimization.

Andreas was born in Kassel, Germany, on January 26, 1950. After finishing high school at the Albert-Schweitzer-Gymnasium in 1968, he enrolled at the Technische Universität in Clausthal-Zellerfeld and began studying mathematics and physics. Andreas moved to Freiburg in 1972 and pursued mathematics...

To Whom It May Concern,

The COVID-19 pandemic and ensuing full and partial lockdowns that this year swept across Europe and the world are unprecedented. Not all of the aftereffects are negative: As a group we have broadened our skills and horizons in digital teaching and online seminars. But the net impact on research and training in academia has been disastrous: Conferences were cancelled and collaborations stood still. Time slated for research splintered among the competing demands of home-schooling, eldercare, and quarantines. Networking and mentorship stalled. Common but often unaddressed...