KTH/SU Mathematics
Colloquium
May 16,
2007
Prof. Claus Scheiderer,
Konstanz
Positive polynomials and
sums of squares
Since
Minkowski and Hilbert, the polarity between positive
polynomials and sums of squares has occupied generations of
mathematicians. The interest in this matter has even
increased in recent years, due to new insights on the one
hand and to applications in optimization on the other. In
my talk I will both describe the historic roots of the
problem and speak about selected recent developments.