New at UDE: Victoria Hoskins
Mathematics in its best forms
- von Dr. Alexandra Nießen
- 04.02.2026
A sphere is a sphere, no matter how large it is or where it is located. Mathematically speaking, it is a geometric shape that is calculated using algebraic equations. And that makes it a case for experts such as Prof. Dr. Victoria Hoskins. The University of Duisburg-Essen is delighted to welcome this world-renowed and outstanding expert as its new professor of algebra at the Faculty of Mathematics.
Algebra and geometry are a realm of numbers, shapes and structures, but mathematically they each have different focuses: abstract algebra deals with the relationships between numbers that are connected by addition, subtraction, multiplication or division. Geometry adds space, shapes and their properties. And algebraic geometry examines how geometric shapes can be described by algebraic equations.
Prof. Dr. Victoria Hoskins introduces new concepts to her students clearly by using examples, motivations and words and explanations. ‘In mathematics, one common goal is to classify certain algebraic or geometrics objects. Often the classification list is not finite, and the solution more interesting: the dream is that there is a geometric solution, known as a moduli space, and the geometry of this space encodes how these objects vary and deform,‘ she explains. Moduli spaces are conceptual mathematical tools that can be used for classification, but they also have rich and interesting geometry themselves.
At the University of Duisburg-Essen (UDE), Professor Hoskins is researching algebraic geometry, including moduli spaces. With international collaborators, we recently succeeded in constructing new moduli spaces that can be used to study new types of Kac-Moody algebras,’ she says. Kac-Moody algebras are used in mathematics and physics to understand infinite-dimensional and sophisticated structures, such as those found in quantum physics or string theory. ‚Some parts of algebraic geometry have practical applications, but the vast majority – including Professor Hoskins’ research – does not. „In mathematics, we pursue our research out of curiosity, our desire so solve abstract problems and for the beauty of the solutions.“
Hoskins received financial support from the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC) during her doctoral studies (2007–2011) at the University of Oxford. She then conducted research visits at the Institut Henri Poincaré (2012) (France) and the Centre de Recerca Matemàtica (2012) (Spain). Hoskins was also a Junior Professor at the FU Berlin (2014-2019) and assistant professor at Radboud University Nijmegen (2020-2025).
More information:
Prof. Dr. Victoria Hoskins, Tel. +49 (0)201 / 18-33923, victoria.hoskins@uni-due.de
Editorial office: Dr. Alexandra Nießen, Tel. +49 (0)203 / 37-91487, alexandra.niessen@uni-due.de