Dr. Heinrich Hartmann

Heinrich Hartmann

Dr. Heinrich Hartmann

Mathematics & Engineering

Heinrich Hartmann is an independent self-funded mathematician whose work spans algebraic geometry, applied mathematics, and large-scale observability systems.

Positions

Selected Publications

Algebraic Geometry & Mirror Symmetry

  • Cusps of the Kähler Moduli Space and Stability Conditions on K3 Surfaces 32 citations Mathematische Annalen 354(1), 2012.

    Relates boundary points (“cusps”) in the K3 moduli space to Bridgeland stability conditions on derived categories, giving a precise picture of how stability behaves near the boundary. The appendix has become a standard reference for perfect complexes and complex base-change; Proposition 6.4 is frequently cited as the canonical base-change result.

  • Period- and Mirror-Maps for the Quartic K3 13 citations manuscripta mathematica 141(3), 2013.

    Gives a complete, explicit treatment of mirror symmetry for the quartic K3, computing period maps and Picard–Fuchs equations and matching complex and Kähler moduli. It is widely used as the standard reference for the quartic K3 mirror example in later work on K3 surfaces.

Applied Mathematics & Engineering

Digital Democracy & Computational Social Science

Selected Blog Posts

  • The Calculus of Local Smooth Functions (2023)

    Develops differential calculus on germs of smooth functions, emphasizing local operators, composition rules, and a jet-style view of Taylor series.

  • Effective Rank Decomposition of Linear Maps (2021)

    Revisits the rank decomposition theorem with an explicit constructive proof, algorithms, and NumPy implementations, highlighting practical aspects often glossed over in textbooks.

  • Quantile Mathematics (2019)

    Explains quantiles and quantile estimation from a mathematical perspective and links them to real-world latency and SLO analysis in observability systems.

  • Natural Operators in Linear Algebra (2021, PDF)

    A structuralist treatment of linear maps organized by their naturality under basis changes, written in the style of advanced lecture notes.

Fellowships

Research Career

Heinrich Hartmann is an independent self-funded mathematician whose work spans algebraic geometry, applied mathematics, and large-scale observability systems.

In pure mathematics, Heinrich worked at the intersection of algebra, geometry, and theoretical physics, specifically on derived categories, stability conditions, K3 surfaces, and mirror symmetry. He published two influential papers in high-ranking journals (Mathematische Annalen and manuscripta mathematica). Both have become well-cited references in their respective areas, combining conceptual insight with technical foundations that are now used in a variety of subsequent works.

Working with Theo Schlossnagle at Circonus, he became one of the early pioneers of histogram-based data structures for observability and telemetry. His work on log-linear histograms and percentile estimation helped shape emerging industry standards and directly influenced the histogram implementations of Prometheus and OpenTelemetry.

In computational social science, Hartmann collaborated with Christian Kling and others on empirical studies of liquid democracy, focusing on the Pirate Party’s LiquidFeedback platform. Their ICWSM 2015 paper on voting behaviour and power concentration has accumulated close to 100 citations and is a standard empirical reference on delegation dynamics and power concentration in online democracies.

In parallel with his industry work, Hartmann has maintained a steady stream of mathematical writing on his personal blog, focusing on the foundations of analysis, statistics, and the structures underpinning numerical methods and machine learning. These notes and essays extend his research profile beyond formal publications and document his ongoing independent work on the interface between pure and applied mathematics.