Welcome, Professor Deniz Kus

What have been the most important stages in your academic career?

After studying mathematics and physics and obtaining my PhD (2013) at the University of Cologne, I worked as a postdoc at the University of Bonn. Other formative stations have been the Centre de recherches mathématiques in Montreal, the Institute for Computational and Experimental Research in Mathematics in Providence and the Institut Henri Poincaré in Paris. Until my appointment to the Technical University of Munich (TUM) in 2025, I had been working as an assistant professor at the Ruhr University Bochum.

What are your main areas of research?

My main area of research is representation theory – a branch of pure mathematics that is closely connected to the concept of symmetry. The central question here is how symmetric structures can be described and analyzed in different mathematical and physical contexts. A particular focus of my research is on structures with infinitely many degrees of freedom, which can be described by special mathematical objects, such as quantum groups and their representations.

Another central aspect of my work is to study these algebraic structures from different perspectives – topological, combinatorial and geometric – in order to better understand both their symmetries and their underlying structure.

What are you most looking forward to in your new position at the TUM?

I am particularly looking forward to the strong research environment at the TUM, which is ideal for interdisciplinary collaboration. Also, I am looking forward to the exchange with motivated students and the lively atmosphere in the full lecture halls.

What was your biggest “aha” moment in your scientific career?

I particularly remember those “aha” moments when I understood the language of another discipline better – for example at interdisciplinary conferences. You often mean the same thing in terms of content, but it takes time to really recognize that. Such situations occur frequently in representation theory as it is closely linked to mathematical physics and there are numerous joint conferences.

What is at the top of your personal bucket list?

To be honest, I have never created a bucket list in the literal sense of the word. However, I have always been fascinated by aerospace since I was a child. And now, at the TUM, there are of course many exciting opportunities to revive this old fascination.