Nickolas Hein

Nickolas Hein is a Professor and Chair in the Mathematics and Computer Science Department at Benedictine College. He joined the institution in 2016 after earning his Ph.D. in mathematics from Texas A&M University in 2013. Dr. Hein serves as the Faculty Athletics Representative and also runs the St. Benedict Elementary School chess club.

• Ph.D., Texas A&M University, 2013 (Dissertation: Reality and Computation in Schubert Calculus)
• M.A., The University of Kansas, 2006 (Thesis: The Riemann-Roch Theorem for Complex Curves)
• B.A., The University of Kansas, 2003 (Honors Thesis: Constructible Numbers and the Insolvability of the Quintic)

Dr. Hein's research focuses on algebraic geometry, combinatorics, and numerical analysis. His specific interests include Schubert calculus, Catalan objects, certification of numerical solutions, reality in algebraic geometry, and experimental mathematics. He has developed specialized computational methods for solving polynomial systems and has made significant contributions to understanding real solutions in Schubert calculus. Dr. Hein is an active reviewer for the American Mathematical Society Mathematical Reviews and organized the Workshop on Computational and Applied Enumerative Geometry at the Fields Institute in Toronto.

His publication record demonstrates a consistent focus on real algebraic geometry and computational methods, with an emphasis on certifiable computations and the reality of solutions to geometric problems. His work often bridges theoretical mathematics with practical computational approaches.

Dr. Hein teaches a wide range of mathematics courses including Intermediate College Algebra, Calculus, Linear Algebra, Modern Algebra, Complex Analysis, and graduate-level courses in Algebraic Geometry and Groebner Bases.

Outside of his academic work, Dr. Hein lives in Atchison with his wife and four children, finding community within the local Benedictine presence.