Solveig Tränkner's bachelor's thesis focused on mathematical and numerical analyses of the t-SNE method. t-SNE is currently one of the most widely used tools for visualizing high-dimensional data, for example in bioinformatics, computer security research, and geology. Solveig Tränkner's outstanding work exemplifies the contribution of numerical mathematics to machine learning and artificial intelligence. Particularly noteworthy is her critical examination of an existing result on clustering guarantees. The prizewinner impressively demonstrates that its assumptions prove questionable when applied to real data. Her investigation of the influence of various process parameters on the calculated visualization and its often limited reproducibility is also relevant for practical application. In her work, Solveig Tränkner demonstrates her methodologically strict approach with a noticeable understanding of the bridge between theory and algorithms.
The Ada Lovelace Prize for female mathematicians was established in 2010 by the Institute for Numerical Simulation at the University of Bonn and has been awarded annually ever since. The award serves to promote young female talent in numerical analysis. The prize is named after the British mathematician Ada Lovelace (1815–1852). Outstanding bachelor's and master's theses as well as dissertations are considered for the award. The prize money ranges from €500 for the best bachelor's thesis to €1,000 for the best master's thesis and €2,000 for the best dissertation by young female scientists.