Alexander J. Pfleger

”The Schrödinger equation explains everything but cannot explain anything “ – With this dilemma my solid-state physics professor addressed the limits of his course right in the beginning. The equation , so mighty yet so short, when applied on single atoms becomes analytically unsolvable without further simplifications. A numerical approach would also yield sufficient answers. Still for many-body-systems, like in heavier atoms or molecules, no solution can be found in a reasonable time.

I am Alexander J. Pfleger, a physics student from Graz, Austria. During my studies, I stumbled over similar problems quite frequently. The limiting factor was always set by the available computational power. I dare to say, my personal experience only covers a fraction of all existing problems of this kind. Solving some problems in the sectors environment, fusion energy, and health could improve human life drastically. Therefore, progress in HPC (High-Performance Computing) is useful and inevitable for the science of today and the humanity of tomorrow. This is the reason I joined the HPC programme “PRACE Summer of HPC”.

Currently, I am finishing my master’s thesis on simulations of a solid oxide fuel cell (SOFC) system. I am holding bachelor degrees in electrical engineering and audio engineering, and physics. In my free time, I organize the science competition PLANCKS. Or just play the piano. As you can see, I like to explore things. If you want to explore with me, stay tuned for my next posts.