astronomy

Tomaž Pisanski

Tomaž Pisanski is a astronomy topic covered in the lgStudy science library. This page brings together a partial reference excerpt, illustrations, worked examples, real-world applications and a short study plan, so you can understand Tomaž Pisanski rather than just read about it. In short: Tomaž (Tomo) Pisanski (born 24 May 1949 in Ljubljana, Yugoslavia, which is now in Slovenia) is a Slovenian mathematician working mainly in discrete mathematics and graph theory. He is considered by many Slovenian mathematicians to be the "father of Slovenian discrete mathematics." Biography As a high school student, Pisanski competed in the 1966 and 1967 International Mathematical Olympiads as a member of the Yugosl…

Key takeaways

Tomaž Pisanski belongs to astronomy; place it in that map before memorising details.
Learn the definition first, then one example that makes the definition concrete.
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Reproduce the core statement of Tomaž Pisanski from memory before moving on to harder problems.

Reference excerpt

Tomaž (Tomo) Pisanski (born 24 May 1949 in Ljubljana, Yugoslavia, which is now in Slovenia) is a Slovenian mathematician working mainly in discrete mathematics and graph theory. He is considered by many Slovenian mathematicians to be the "father of Slovenian discrete mathematics."

Biography As a high school student, Pisanski competed in the 1966 and 1967 International Mathematical Olympiads as a member of the Yugoslav team, winning a bronze medal in 1967. He studied at the University of Ljubljana where he obtained a B.Sc, M.Sc and PhD in mathematics. His 1981 PhD thesis in topological graph theory was written under the guidance of Torrence Parsons. He also obtained an M.Sc. in computer science from Pennsylvania State University in 1979. Currently, Pisanski is a professor of discrete and computational mathematics and Head of the Department of Information Sciences and Technology at University of Primorska in Koper. In addition, he is a professor at the University of Ljubljana Faculty of Mathematics and Physics (FMF). He has been a member of the Institute of Mathematics, Physics and Mechanics (IMFM) in Ljubljana since 1980, and the leader of several IMFM research projects. In 1991 he established the Department of Theoretical Computer Science at IMFM, of which he has served as both head and deputy head. He has taught undergraduate and graduate courses in mathematics and computer science at the University of Ljubljana, University of Zagreb, University of Udine, University of Leoben, California State University, Chico, Simon Fraser University, University of Auckland and Colgate University. Pisanski has been an adviser for M.Sc and PhD students in both mathematics and computer science. Notable doctoral students include Vladimir Batagelj, Bojan Mohar, and Sandi Klavžar.

Research Pisanski’s research interests span several areas of discrete and computational mathematics, including combinatorial configurations, abstract polytopes, maps on surfaces, chemical graph theory, and the history of mathematics and science. In 1980 he calculated the genus of the Cartesian product of any pair of connected, bipartite, d-valent graphs using a method that was later called the White–Pisanski method. In 1982 Vladimir Batagelj and Pisanski proved that the Cartesian product of a tree and a cycle is Hamiltonian if and only if no degree of the tree exceeds the length of the cycle. They also proposed a conjecture concerning cyclic Hamiltonicity of graphs. Their conjecture was proved in 2005. With Brigitte Servatius he is the co-author of the book Configurations from a Graphical Viewpoint (2013).

Selected publications Pisanski, T. Genus of Cartesian products of regular bipartite graphs, Journal of Graph Theory 4 (1), 1980, 31-42. doi:10.1002/jgt.3190040105 Graovac, A., T. Pisanski. On the Wiener index of a graph, Journal of Mathematical Chemistry 8 (1),1991, 53-62. doi:10.1007/BF01166923 Boben, M., B. Grunbaum, T. Pisanski, A. Zitnik, Small triangle-free configurations of points and lines, Discrete & Computational Geometry 35 (3), 2006, 405-427. doi:10.1007/s00454-005-1224-9 Conder, M., I. Hubard, T. Pisanski. Constructions for chiral polytopes, Journal of the London Mathematical Society 77 (1), 2007, 115-129. doi:10.1112/jlms/jdm093 Pisanski, T. A classification of cubic bicirculants, Discrete Mathematics 307 (3-5), 2007, 567-578. doi:10.1016/j.disc.2005.09.053

Professional life From 1998-1999, Pisanski was chairman of the Society of Mathematicians, Physicists and Astronomers of Slovenia (DMFA Slovenije); he was appointed an honorary member in 2015. He is a founding member of the International Academy of Mathematical Chemistry, serving as its vice president from 2007 to 2011. In 2008, together with Dragan Marušič, he founded Ars Mathematica Contemporanea, the first international mathematical journal to be published in Slovenia. In 2012 he was elected to the Academia Europaea. He was the president of the Slovenian Discrete and Applied Mathematics Society (SDAMS) from its conception until December 12, 2024. SDAMS is the first Eastern European mathematical society not wholly devoted to theoretical mathematics to be accepted as a full member of the European Mathematical Society (EMS).

Awards and honors

In 2005, Pisanski was decorated with the Order of Merit (Slovenia), and in 2015 he received the Zois award for exceptional contributions to discrete mathematics and its applications. In 2016, he received the Donald Michie and Alan Turing Prize for lifetime achievements in Information Science in Slovenia. In 2025, Pisanski was awarded a Zois Lifetime Achievement Award.

References

External links Pisanski's CV "prof. dr. Tomaz Pisanski". International Academy of Mathematical Chemistry - List of Members Slovenian Academy of Engineering - List of Members Images of Knowledge: Tomaž Pisanski - RTV radio interview 8th European Congress of Mathematics website Maps ∩ Configurations ∩ Polytopes ∩ Molecules ⊆ Graphs: The mathematics of Tomaž Pisanski on the occasion of his 70th birthday Ars Mathematica Contemporanea website Slovenian Society for Discrete and Applied Mathematics (SDAMS) website

Illustrations

Worked examples

Example 1 — a first encounter with Tomaž Pisanski

Start with the simplest possible case. Write down what Tomaž Pisanski claims or describes in one sentence, then invent the smallest concrete situation in which that sentence is true. In astronomy, the smallest case is usually a single object, a single equation or a single measurement. Check that every symbol or term in your sentence has a meaning in that case.

Example 2 — changing one variable

Take the situation from Example 1 and change exactly one quantity: double it, halve it, or set it to zero. Predict what should happen to Tomaž Pisanski before you calculate. Comparing your prediction with the result is the fastest way to find out whether you understand the idea or only the words.

Example 3 — an exam-style question

Typical questions about Tomaž Pisanski ask you to (a) state it precisely, (b) apply it to given data, and (c) explain a limitation. Practise writing all three answers in under five minutes; the third part is what separates a full-mark answer from an average one.

Applications of Tomaž Pisanski

In research: Tomaž Pisanski appears in astronomy research whenever the underlying quantities have to be modelled precisely. Papers usually cite it as a starting assumption and then explore where it breaks down.
In technology and industry: Engineering practice reuses Tomaž Pisanski in design rules, simulations and safety margins. Knowing the idea lets you read a specification sheet and understand why the numbers look the way they do.
In the classroom: Tomaž Pisanski is common in secondary-school and first-year university syllabi. It links to neighbouring topics 1949 births, 20th-century Slovenian mathematicians, 21st-century Slovenian mathematicians, so understanding it makes those chapters shorter.
In everyday life: Look for Tomaž Pisanski outside the textbook — in sport, cooking, traffic, electronics or the sky above you. An example you found yourself is remembered far longer than one you were given.

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How to study Tomaž Pisanski in 20 minutes

Read the reference excerpt below once, without taking notes.
Close the page and write down what Tomaž Pisanski means in your own words.
Compare your version with the excerpt and mark what you missed.
Work through the three examples above with pen and paper.
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Frequently asked questions

What is Tomaž Pisanski in simple terms?

Why does Tomaž Pisanski matter?

Because it connects several astronomy ideas at once: it gives you a definition you can apply, a quantity you can calculate, and a way to check whether a result is plausible.

How should I study Tomaž Pisanski?

Read the excerpt, restate it from memory, then work through the examples and applications listed on this page. The five-step study plan above takes about twenty minutes.

What does this page cover?

It gives you a compact reference excerpt plus original lgStudy explanations, examples, applications and study material on Tomaž Pisanski.