Olof Runborg is a Professor in Numerical Analysis at the Royal Institute of Technology (KTH) in Stockholm, Sweden. He works in the Division of Numerical Analysis, Optimization and Systems Theory within the Department of Mathematics at KTH. His research focuses on developing and analyzing numerical methods for partial differential equations, particularly for wave propagation problems. His educational background includes: MSc in Electrical Engineering from KTH (1992) BSc in Economics & Business Administration from SSE (1994) PhD in Numerical Analysis/Applied Mathematics from KTH (1998) Postdoc at Paris VI University (1999) Postdoc at Princeton University's Program in Applied and Computational Mathematics (2000-2001) Became Docent at NADA in 2003 Appointed Professor at KTH in 2010 Professor Runborg's research centers on the numerical treatment of partial differential equations, with special emphasis on wave propagation problems. His work spans multiple areas including high-frequency waves, multiscale phenomena, numerical homogenization, uncertainty quantification, multiresolution analysis, Gaussian beams, and mesh generation. A recurring theme in his research is developing methods to solve computationally expensive problems more efficiently while maintaining accuracy. His approach often involves coupling different numerical methods or reformulating equations to create more efficient computational approaches. His research has applications across physics and engineering domains where wave phenomena are important. An analysis of his recent publications (2015-2025) shows continued focus on high-frequency wave propagation with expanding applications to areas like the Landau-Lifshitz equation for magnetic materials and elastic wave propagation. His work bridges theoretical numerical analysis with practical computational techniques, often developing novel methods like the WaveHoltz iteration for solving the Helmholtz equation. The publications demonstrate increasing attention to uncertainty quantification and multiscale methods while maintaining strong theoretical foundations in error analysis. Professor Runborg teaches several courses at KTH including Numerical Methods (basic course), Applied Numerical Methods, Numerical Algorithms for Data-Intensive Science, and Selected Topics in Numerical Analysis II. He serves as examiner for degree projects in Scientific Computing. His teaching reflects his research expertise in numerical methods and computational mathematics, providing students with both theoretical foundations and practical implementation skills. Beyond his core research, Professor Runborg has engaged in interesting side projects, such as his analysis of 'Numbers on the Web' where he investigated the frequency of numbers 11-1000 in web content, revealing patterns related to dates, time, computer systems, and cultural phenomena. This demonstrates his broader interest in data analysis and computational approaches to understanding patterns in information.
