Philipp Zilk Defends His Dissertation

26 Juli 2026

On July 8, 2026, Philipp Zilk successfully defended his dissertation and completed his doctoral studies with the best possible grade.

His research focuses on isogeometric analysis on domains with corners, in particular on the development of error estimates for polar parameterizations. Moreover, he studied how these analytical foundations can be applied to eigenvalue problems and to the corresponding inverse problem of determining whether one can hear the shape of a crack. The resulting dissertation, entitled Isogeometric analysis on domains with corners: Numerical analysis and application to crack identification, reflects a strong contribution to the field and combines analytical depth with important applications in computational mathematics.

As part of the doctoral examination, Philipp presented his work in a 30-minute talk, followed by a one-hour questioning session by the examination committee, which he successfully completed. The committee members were Prof. Thomas Apel, Prof. Serge Nicaise, and Prof. Giancarlo Sangalli, with Prof. Josef Kiendl serving as chair of the examination committee.

After the official announcement of his successful defense, Philipp was warmly congratulated by the entire institute as well as by family, friends, and colleagues. In a joyful atmosphere, this special milestone was celebrated together and the successful completion of his doctorate was honored extensively.

We warmly congratulate Philipp on this outstanding academic achievement and wish him continued success in his future scientific and professional endeavors.