Kurt Mehlhorn

Kurt Mehlhorn is a distinguished academic in computer science, affiliated with the Universität des Saarlandes and the Max-Planck-Institut für Informatik. He has served as Professor of Computer Science since 1975 and as Director of the Max Planck Institute since 1990. His work bridges theoretical and applied computer science, with a focus on algorithmic design and implementation.

• Born: 29 August 1949, Ingolstadt, Germany
• Education: TU München (1968–1971), Cornell University (1971–1974), PhD in Computer Science (1974)

Mehlhorn’s research spans foundational and applied domains, including Data Structures, Graph Algorithms, Computational Geometry, and Software Libraries. His contributions to algorithm engineering and EU-funded projects like ALCOM and GALIA have advanced the field. He co-founded Algorithmic Solutions GmbH in 1995 to commercialize algorithmic tools.

Notable scientific awards:

• Leibniz-Award (1986)
• Humboldt-Award (1989)
• ACM Paris Kanellakis Theory and Practice Award (2011)
• Academia Europaea Erasmus Medal (2014)

His editorial leadership includes roles at Algorithmica, SIAM Journal of Computing, and ACM Transactions on Algorithms. He has held advisory positions at institutions like IST Austria, ETH Zürich, and Simons Foundation, while directing research clusters such as the Cluster of Excellence in Multimodal Computing and the Indo Max Planck Center.