Carsten Burstedde

Prof. Dr. Carsten Burstedde is a faculty member at the Institut für Numerische Simulation within the University of Bonn, specifically affiliated with the Faculty of Mathematics and Natural Sciences. His work focuses on developing scalable algorithms for adaptive mesh refinement (AMR) that operate efficiently on the world’s largest supercomputers. He leads the development of the p4est software library, a foundational tool for parallel AMR applications, and contributes to projects like ForestClaw for simulating volcanic ash transport in atmospheric flows.

His research spans scientific computing, applied mathematics, and high-performance computing. Key application areas include geophysics (mantle convection, seismic wave propagation), fluid dynamics (incompressible flows, volcanic ash transport), and uncertainty quantification for inverse problems. He emphasizes non-conforming mesh techniques and parallel numerical solutions of PDEs, with a particular interest in hybrid mesh algorithms for complex domains.

The 15 most recent publications highlight his expertise in adaptive mesh refinement across diverse contexts: 2021 works on heterogeneous systems and ghost layer optimization, 2020 contributions to p4est software and CPU ray tracing of AMR data, 2019 studies on Morton-type space-filling curves, and 2018–2016 projects enhancing ParFlow and ESPResSo with adaptive methods. Earlier papers (2015–2012) address Bayesian inverse problems, level-set methods, and multi-scale geodynamics.

Scientific Awards include the Springer CSE Prize (2011) and the NSF TeraGrid Capability Computing Challenge (2008). He has advised PhD student Johannes Holke, with whom he developed tetrahedral space-filling curves and hybrid AMR algorithms. His teaching includes courses on scientific computing, adaptive mesh refinement, and mathematics in music. The p4est summer school (2020) and collaboration with Donna Calhoun (ForestClaw project) underscore his leadership in computational science outreach and education.