School II Mathematics and Natural Sciences

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© Matheon

School II is home to the discipline of mathematics, as well as to the related fields of physics and chemistry. This School has distinguished itself through excellence in both pure and applied research and its broad scientific achievements.

Mathematics is a millennium-old cultural treasure that remains a multi-faceted and contemporary subject of teaching and research. It has since developed into one of the key technologies of the information age. A large university of technology like the TU Berlin offers special opportunities for cross-discipline cooperation between the natural sciences, engineering sciences and research in pure mathematics. Our School serves as an interface, where TU Berlin mathematicians teach, conduct research and devise hypotheses in response to ever more complex problems posed by the fields of engineering and the natural sciences.

A number of cooperative projects in specialized fields of research involving graduate schools and research groups underscores the high level of activity at the Department of Mathematics. Furthermore, it plays a leading role in the DFG research center "MATHEON – Mathematics for the Key Technologies" and the "Berlin Mathematical School" (BMS), which is promoted by the Excellence Initiative. These two leading professional networks have resulted from the merging of several mathematics institutes in Berlin, both intramural and extramural, and have received recognition all over the world as a beacon of excellence in mathematical studies. Both projects receive approximately 7.7 million euros in external funding each year. The TU Berlin is the host university for both institutions.

Chemists at the TU Berlin also enjoy a high international reputation in the fields of pure and applied research. Underlying this reputation are modern experimental and theoretical methods. Research can be carried out in all 16 areas of specialization thanks to an infrastructure of large-scale research equipment that is available only in a few locations anywhere in the world. Here, the main research focus is on chemistry as it relates to material sciences, synthetic chemistry and catalysis, biological and biophysical chemistry and chemical technology. Scientists at the TU Berlin have contributed substantially to basic research into photosynthetic processes. Furthermore, the Department of Chemistry has earned a name for itself in the field of catalysis through its strong networking within Berlin’s research community. The strategic goal here is to develop and consolidate the diverse concepts of pure and applied catalysis and including biocatalysis. Through their participation in a catalysis research cluster these scientists are also making their contribution to the "Excellence Initiative of Federal and State Governments".

Physicists from the School’s four Departments of Physics focus their attention on solid-state physics, in particular semi-conductor and nanophysics, optics and nuclear physics, as well as theoretical and astrophysics. Application-oriented basic research forms the core of this endeavor. An excellent example of this is the "Center of Nanophotonics" with one of the most up-to-date cleanroom laboratories in Germany. This TU institute plays a leading international role in the field of quantum dot laser research and maintains various partnerships with private industry. The main specialties of the field of Optics include light optics, laser physics, optical technologies, electronic microscopy and electronic holography. New laser systems are being developed at the TU Berlin, whose optical characteristics are currently the object of research for applications in the fields of the laser processing of materials and in medicine. The main focus of the field of nuclear physics encompasses experimental research in the areas of atomic, molecular and cluster physics. A major new area of focus is research into clusters and nano-crystals. Extensive research into non-linear dynamics and Berlin’s only "Center for Astronomy and Astrophysics" complete the spectrum.

Our School provides a wide range of services to our students, since mathematics and physics courses are required for students majoring in engineering science. The range of courses offered by the School is being restructured to fit the needs of our Bachelors/Masters programs. The School is leading the way in introducing E-learning and E-teaching at our university. One result of these efforts is the Multimedia Center for Education and Research (MuLF), which is promoted by the Federal Ministry of Education and Research with a budget of 2 million euros.