Die »Euler-Vorlesung in Sanssouci« ist eine Mathematik-Vorlesung in festlichem Rahmen an der Universität Potsdam. Die Veranstaltung wird seit 1993 alljährlich von den Berliner und Potsdamer mathematischen Instituten, der Berliner Mathematischen Gesellschaft und vielen weiteren Veranstaltern gemeinsam ausgerichtet. Der mathematische Hauptvortrag wird von einer hochkarätig besetzten Jury ausgewählt. Er wird ergänzt durch einen Kulturvortrag und umrahmt von einem musikalischen Rahmenprogramm.

Die Euler-Vorlesung ist nach Leonhard Euler benannt, der mit der Berliner und Potsdamer Mathematik besonders verbunden war. Unter anderem war Euler langjährig als Direktor der Mathematischen Klasse der Berliner Akademie und am Hof Friedrichs des Großen in Potsdam tätig.

 

33. Euler-Vorlesung 2026

Die Euler-Vorlesung in 2026 wird von Professorin Jessica Fintzen von der Universität Bonn gehalten. Den Kulturvortrag wird Professor Johannes Buchmann von der Technischen Universität Darmstadt geben.

Zeit: 22. Mai 2026, 14 Uhr
Ort: Auditorium Maximum im Haus 8, Am Neuen Palais, Potsdam (Lageplan)

 

Euler-Vorlesung von Professorin Jessica Fintzen
(Universität Bonn)

Title: Representing Number Theoretic Symmetries with Linear Algebra

Abstract: A common theme studied in number theory are congruences between integers modulo prime numbers or modulo powers of prime numbers. A way to encode all those congruences at once is provided by a field that is called "the field of p-adic numbers". Out of this field one can build interesting groups, called p-adic groups, which are number theoretic analogues of Lie groups, have a similar rich structure, and which play a central role in the Langlands program, for example. A key question that mathematicians ask is how one can represent these complicated-looking p-adic groups using more common complex matrix groups, in other words, using more traditional linear algebra.

In this talk, I will introduce p-adic numbers and p-adic groups and then provide an overview of what we know about the representations of these groups including recent developments. This means I will explain how close we are to answering the key question above. I might also sketch applications to other questions in mathematics.

 

Kulturvortrag von Professor Johannes Buchmann
(Technische Universität Darmstadt)

Title: Numbers, Quantum Computers, and the Question of Responsibility

Abstract: The lecture traces an arc from the history of a seemingly harmless mathematical problem to highly relevant societal questions. The starting point is the factoring problem. Through early mechanical calculating aids and the first successes of electronic computers, it shows how long and persistently this problem has accompanied mathematics - and why it ultimately became a foundation of modern cryptography. These mathematical ideas are no longer abstract today. They secure the internet, our communications, and our privacy. At the same time, we are witnessing that digital platforms and social networks pose significant risks to the mental health of children and adolescents. This gives rise to a societal responsibility: age limits must be enforceable without resorting to pervasive surveillance or large-scale data collection. The lecture shows that cryptographic methods can solve precisely this problem. Finally, the perspective turns to the future: quantum computers threaten the cryptographic procedures in use today.

The lecture explains which attacks are realistic, that post-quantum methods are available as alternatives - and why it is a matter of responsibility to manage this transition in good time.