Prof. Dr. Thomas Peternell receives honorary doctorate of Université de Lorraine

The Université de Lorraine named Bayreuth mathematics professor Thomas Peternell an honorary doctor on 12 October 2021. In UBTaktuell, Peternell talks about the ceremony and his connections to France.

By Jennifer Opel · 08.11.2021

Prof. Dr. Thomas Peternell receives honorary doctorate in Nancy.

Université de Lorraine 2021 / Christelle Poirel

The honorary doctorate for Prof. Dr. Thomas Peternell is a recognition of his sustained work at the French university. Peternell has been associated with the University of Nancy since the 1980s. Immediately after his dissertation, Peternell took part in the "Journées complexes de Nancy" conference in 1982. "I have a very close connection to Nancy," says Peternell. "The Université de Lorraine was the first university to which I was invited as a researcher." To this day, Peternell has been in Nancy regularly - to do research, but also as a guest speaker at conferences. In Bayreuth, Peternell is Chair for Mathematics I - Complex Analysis. He did his doctorate on holomorphic vector space bundles. In recent years, his research has focused on the classification theory of compact manifolds, in particular the so-called minimal model programme for Kählermann manifolds, the structure of Ricci flat varieties, and uniformisation theory.

Peternell in Nancy

Université de Lorraine 2021 / Christelle Poirel

UBTaktuell: Prof. Peternell, how did you learn about the award?
Peternell: Quite classically via an email from the director of the institute. Quite unspectacular, actually.

Was the award ceremony more spectacular?
It was a really beautiful ceremony. It has to be said that in France it is much more formal. The university in Nancy was founded in 1572 and has a very long tradition. For example, I wore a gown at the conferral ceremony. The national anthems and the European anthem were also played. Yes, it was something special.

You have spent a lot of time in Nancy over the past decades. Do you see a difference in university teaching between France and Germany?
Oh yes, one big difference in particular comes to mind. In France there are no large lectures, but much more small groups. In mathematics, especially for beginners, we sometimes have 100 to 120 students in one course. In France, I would say there are more like 30 students. This is due to the structure, but above all to the staffing of the universities. The mid-level faculty is larger there. There has been a lot of protest here in recent times. In France, these mid-level positions are called "maître de conférence" and they are permanent positions. Even if it has become more difficult financially for French universities in the meantime, and there are no longer many maître de conférence, I would say that one could learn from the French system.

When you look back on your long career, is there a research result or publication that you are particularly proud of?
I have been fortunate to have been able to work with very many very good scientists. So, I don't really wish to single out any individual work.

If you are good at something, you usually enjoy it. What do you like best about your job?
I like both research and teaching. In research, especially in mathematics, you have a lot of freedom. You can freely choose the research topics, of course within the framework of the topic of the research group to which you have been appointed. I really appreciate that, as well as the numerous international contacts, not only in Europe, but especially in East Asia and of course the USA. But the work with students is also great. Maths is not a mass subject, you quickly build up a personal relationship with the students. And I also have to say that the conditions here in Bayreuth are very good. After all, I've been here for 36 years, and would have had the chance to move. The bottom line is that what I do is my dream job.

Prof. Dr. Thomas Peternell mit seiner Urkunde

Université de Lorraine 2021 / Christelle Poirel

The Université de Lorraine justified the award to Thomas Peternell, among other things, by stating that he is one of the leading experts in the field of complex geometry, a field with close links to arithmetic, algebra, differential geometry, topology, and differential and partial differential equations. "Much of his work represents important advances in this field, which has undergone a veritable revolution in results, methods, and perspectives since the late 1970s," the university's tribute said.

The celebrations in Nancy also marked a "return to normality" for the university there. It was the first time since the outbreak of the coronavirus pandemic that an event of this magnitude could take place. Prof. Dr. Thomas Peternell concluded the ceremony with the lecture "The mystery of the six dimensional sphere".

Prof. Dr. Thomas PeternellMathematics I – Complex Analysis

Phone: +49 (0)921 / 55-3369
Mail: thomas.peternell@uni-bayreuth.de