Prof. em. Angelika Steger

ETH Zürich
Prof. em. Dr. Angelika Steger
Institut für Theoretische Informatik

E-Mail: steger@inf.ethz.ch

Retirement

I retired from ETH Zurich in August 2026. I can therefore no longer accept interns, PhD students or postdoctoral researchers, or supervise Bachelor’s or Master’s theses. I am also generally no longer available for reviewing.

If you are a former student of mine:
One of the pleasures of retirement is finally having the time to explore more of Switzerland. If you'd like to introduce me to your hometown or region, I'd be delighted to hear from you.

Research Interests

Short CV

1981-85 Student of mathematics in Freiburg, Heidelberg and Stony Brook
1985 Master of Science, SUNY at Stony Brook
1990 Ph.D, Universität Bonn
1994 Habilitation, Universität Bonn
1994-95 Visiting Professor, Universität zu Kiel
1995-96 Professor for Discrete Mathematics, Universität Duisburg
1996-2003 Professor for Theoretical Computer Science, TU München
2003- Professor for Theoretical Computer Science, ETH Zürich

Awards

1981 Studienstiftung des Deutschen Volkes
1984-85 Fulbright Scholarship
1987 Prize of the Deutsche Gesellschaft für Operations Research (DGOR) for an excellent diploma thesis
1990 Prize of Fachbereich Mathematik-Informatik, Universität Bonn, for best dissertation of preceding academic year
2007 Member German Academy of Sciences Leopoldina
2014 International Congress of Mathematicians ICM'14, invited section talk
2019 Golden Owl, ETH Zurich, for excellence in teaching

Selected Professional Activities

1999-2003 Vice Chair Academic Senate TU München
2004-2008 Member Search Committee Koerber Foundation
2004-2008 Member Planning Commission ETH Zürich
2005-2013 Member National Research Council SNF
2015- Co-director of The Branco Weiss Fellowship

Publications

Books

Articles in Journals and Refereed Proceedings

2025

2024

2023

2022

2021

2020

2019

2018

2017

2016

  • A short proof of the Random Ramsey Theorem
    (joint with R. Nenadov)
    Combinatorics, Probability, and Computing 25, 2016, 130-144.
  • Randomness as a Building Block for Reproducibility in Local Cortical Networks
    (joint with J. Lengler)
    In: Reproducibility: Principles, Practices, Problems, eds. H. Atmanspacher and S. Maasen, Wiley, New York, 2016.
  • A polynomial lower bound for distributed graph coloring in a weak LOCAL model
    (joint with D. Hefetz, F. Kuhn, Y. Maus)
    In: Proceedings of the 30th International Symposium on Distributed Computing (DISC), 2016, 99-113; best paper award.
  • Random directed graphs are robustly Hamiltonian
    (joint with D. Hefetz and B. Sudakov)
    Random Structures & Algorithms 49, 2016, 345-362.
  • On the threshold for the Maker-Breaker H-game
    (joint with R. Nenadov and M. Stojakovic)
    Random Structures & Algorithms 49, 2016, 558-578.
  • Connectivity thresholds for bounded size rules
    (joint with H. Einarsson, J. Lengler, F. Mousset, K. Panagiotou)
    Annals of Applied Probability 26, 2016, 3206-3250.

2015

2014

2013

2012

2011

2010

2009

2008

2007

2006

2005

  • On the evolution of triangle-free graphs
    Combinatorics, Probability, and Computing 14, 2005, 211-224.
  • Random planar graphs
    (joint with C. McDiarmid and D.J.A. Welsh)
    Journal of Combinatorial Theory, Series B 93, 2005, 187-205.
  • The sparse regularity lemma and its applications
    (joint with S. Gerke)
    In: Surveys in Combinatorics, 2005, B. Webb, ed., Cambridge University Press, 2005, 227-258.
  • Random planar graphs with n nodes and a fixed number of edges
    (joint with S. Gerke, C. McDiarmid, and A. Weißl)
    In: Proceedings of the 16th ACM-SIAM Symposium on Discrete Algorithms (SODA'05), 2005, 999-1007.
  • Fast algorithms for weighted bipartite matching
    (joint with J. Schwartz and A. Weißl)
    In: 4th International Workshop on Efficient and Experimental Algorithms (WEA 05), 2005, 476-487.
  • The online clique avoidance game on random graphs
    (joint with M. Marciniszyn and R. Spöhel)
    In: Proceedings of the 9th International Workshop on Randomized Techniques in Computation (RANDOM'05), LNCS 3624, 2005, 390-401.
  • Approximation schemes for node-weighted geometric Steiner tree problems
    (joint with J. Remy)
    In: Proceedings of the 8th Workshop on Approximation Algorithms for Combinatorial Optimization Problems (APPROX'05), LNCS 3624, 2005, 221-232; full version appeared in Algorithmica 55, 2009 (invited paper).
  • A probabilistic counting lemma for complete graphs
    (joint with S. Gerke and M. Marciniszyn)
    In: Proceedings of the 3rd European Conference on Combinatorics, Graph Theory and Applications (EuroComb'05), DMTCS Proceedings Volume AE, 2005, 309-316; full version appeared in Random Structures & Algorithms 31, 2007.

2004

2003

2002

2001

2000

1999

  • Approximability of scheduling with fixed jobs (Extended Abstract)
    (joint with M. Scharbrodt, H. Weisser)
    In: Proceedings of the Tenth ACM-SIAM Symposium on Discrete Algorithms (SODA'99), 1999, 961-962.
    Journal version:
  • Approximability of scheduling with fixed jobs
    (joint with M. Scharbrodt, H. Weisser)
    Journal of Scheduling 2, 1999, 267-284.
  • Randomized and adversarial load balancing
    (joint with P. Berenbrink and T. Friedetzky)
    In: Proceedings of the Eleventh Annual ACM Symposium on Parallel Algorithms and Architectures (SPAA'99), Springer-Verlag, 1999, pp. 175-184.
  • Generating random regular graphs quickly
    (joint with N. Wormald)
    Combinatorics, Probability and Computing 8, 1999, 377-396.
  • Load balancing using bisectors - a tight average-case analysis
    (joint with S. Bischof and Th. Schickinger)
    In: Proceedings of the Seventh Annual European Symposium on Algorithms (ESA'99), Springer-Verlag, 1999, pp. 172-183.

1998

1997

1996

  • Counting H-free graphs
    (joint with H.J. Prömel)
    Discrete Mathematics 154, 1996, 311-315.
  • The average number of linear extensions of a partial order
    (joint with G. Brightwell and H.J. Prömel)
    Journal of Combinatorial Theory, Series A 73, 1996, 193-206.
  • On the asymptotic structure of sparse triangle-free graphs
    (joint with H.J. Prömel)
    Journal of Graph Theory 21, 1996, 137-151.
  • Tidier examples for lower bounds on diagonal Ramsey numbers
    (joint with C. McDiarmid)
    Journal of Combinatorial Theory, Series A 74, 1996, 147-152.
  • Wie man Beweise verifizieren kann, ohne sie zu lesen
    (joint with H.J. Prömel)
    In: Highlights der Informatik (I. Wegener, ed.), Springer Verlag, 1996.©

1995

1994

  • Probabilistically checkable proofs and their consequences for approximation algorithms
    (joint with S. Hougardy and H.J. Prömel)
    Discrete Mathematics 136, 1994, 175-223;
    Reprinted in: Trends in Discrete Mathematics (W. Deuber, H.J. Prömel, B. Voigt, eds.), North Holland, 1995.
  • Testing hereditary properties efficiently on average
    (joint with J. Gustedt)
    In: Orders, Algorithms and Applications (V. Bouchitté, M. Morvan, eds.), Proceedings of the International Workshop ORDAL'94, Lyon, LNCS 831, Springer-Verlag, 1994, 100-116.

1993

  • Excluding induced subgraphs II: extremal graphs
    (joint with H.J. Prömel)
    Discrete Applied Mathematics 44, 1993, 283-294.
  • A note on induced matchings
    (joint with M. Yu)
    Discrete Mathematics 120, 1993, 291-295.
  • Asymptotic structure of H-free graphs
    (joint with H.J. Prömel)
    Proceedings of the AMS-IMS-SIAM Joint Summer Research Conference (N. Robertson, P. Seymour, Hrsg.), Contemporary Mathematics 147, American Mathematical Society, 1993, 167-178.
  • Extremal graph problems for graphs with a color-critical vertex
    (joint with C. Hundack and H.J. Prömel)
    Combinatorics, Probability, and Computing 2, 1993, 465-477.

1992

1991

1990

  • Globale und lokale Verdrahtungsalgorithmen f√ºr Sea-of-Cells Design
    (joint with A. Hetzel, B. Korte, R. Krieger, H.J. Prömel and U.D. Radicke)
    Informatik - Forschung und Entwicklung 5 (1990), 2-19.
  • VLSI-placement based on routing and timing information
    (joint with J. Garbers, B. Korte, H.J. Prömel and E. Schwietzke)
    Proceedings European Design Automation Conference, 1990, 317-321.
  • A design-system for ASIC's with macrocells
    (joint with B. Korte and H.J. Prömel)
    Proceedings EURO ASIC '90 Conference 1990, 220-224.
  • Finding clusters in VLSI circuits
    (joint with J. Garbers and H.J. Prömel)
    Proceedings International Conference on Computer-Aided-Design, 1990, 520-523.
  • Steiner trees in VLSI-layout
    (joint with B. Korte and H.J. Prömel)
    In: Paths, Flows and VLSI-Layout (B. Korte, L. Lov√°sz, H.J. Prömel, A. Schrijver, eds.), Algorithms and Combinatorics, Vol. 7, Springer Verlag 1990, 185-214.

1989

  • Combining partitioning and global routing in sea-of-cells design
    (joint with B. Korte and H.J. Prömel)
    Proceedings International Conference on Computer-Aided-Design, 1989, 98-101.

1988

  • An extension of Karmarkar's algorithm to bounded linear programming problems
    Operations Research Proceedings 1987, Springer Verlag 1988, 88-95.

Theses

Master of Science:
An Extension of Karmarkar's Algorithm to Bounded Linear Programming Problems
State University of New York at Stony Brook, August 1985.

Dissertation:
Die Kleitman-Rothschild Methode
Universität Bonn, März 1990.

Habilitationsschrift:
Asymptotic Properties of H-free Graphs
Universität Bonn, November 1993.