’That special moment when an idea becomes reality’

Burkhard Wilking has been awarded the Staudt Prize, and in this interview he talks about the fascination of mathematics. Prof. Burkhard Wilking, co-leader of the Differential Geometry working group at the Institute of Mathematics is to receive the Karl Georg Christian von Staudt Prize for his achievements in the field of theoretical mathematics. The ceremony will be held at the University of Erlangen-Nuremberg on April 22. Worth 25,000 euros, the prize is the most valuable one in Germany for mathematicians. In this interview with André Bednarz, Burkhard Wilking talks about his everyday work and the fascination which his subject holds for him. Can you explain to someone like me, with a background in literature, what your everyday job looks like - in a practical sense too? I-ll be pleased to try. My research is all about the study of geometric forms.