Jens Vygen

Prof. Jens Vygen is a full Professor of Discrete Mathematics at the University of Bonn's Research Institute for Discrete Mathematics. He specializes in combinatorial optimization, approximation algorithms, and their applications to chip design and vehicle routing. He has directed large-scale industrial collaborations and supervised over 20 PhD students, including Vera Traub. His work includes co-authoring influential textbooks like Combinatorial Optimization: Theory and Algorithms and Approximation Algorithms for Traveling Salesman Problems.

Research highlights include advancements in TSP approximation algorithms, Steiner tree optimization, and network flow algorithms. He has organized major events like the IPCO conference and served on editorial boards of leading journals. Awards include teaching excellence and best paper recognitions at SODA and IPCO.

Teaching focuses on advanced topics in discrete mathematics, approximation algorithms, and combinatorial optimization. Courses span undergraduate to graduate levels, emphasizing algorithm design, graph theory, and practical implementations.

Labs/teams: Core contributor to Bonn's Hausdorff Center for Mathematics and Bonn's discrete optimization research group. Active in developing algorithms for VLSI routing (BonnRoute) and chip design tools (BonnPlace).