Robin J. Sroka

Emmy Noether Research Group Leader in Mathematics • University of Münster

Contact

Mathematisches Institut
Universität Münster
Einsteinstrasse 62
48149 Münster, Germany

robinjsroka[at]uni-muenster.de

About me

I am a mathematician and Emmy Noether Research Group Leader at the University of Münster funded by my DFG grant "Cohomology and K-theory: exploring new connections".

My research group is integrated into the Cluster of Excellence "Mathematics Münster" and into the Collaborative Research Centre "Geometry: Deformations and Rigidity".

At the Cluster of Excellence, I also work as an investigator within the research group "T1: K-groups and cohomology" and pursue part of my research on "High-dimensional cohomology of arithmetic groups" within a Young Research Group together with Benjamin Brück.

Previously, I was a PhD student at the University of Copenhagen and held postdoctoral positions at the University of Münster, McMaster University, and Institut Mittag-Leffler.

Research Group

Our work takes place at the intersection of algebraic topology, homological algebra, and geometric group theory, with connections to algebra, dynamics, geometry, and number theory. We explore patterns in (co)homological invariants of groups and algebras, as well as their relation to questions in (algebraic) K-theory. This line of research typically builds on an interplay between abstract tools from homotopical algebra and an explicit understanding of combinatorial geometries.

Open positions:

• Postdocs (General Call)
  The Cluster of Excellence, the CRC and the Mathematical Institute are advertising postdoc positions in a general application round, open until November 1, 2026. If you are interested in working with me, consider listing me as a possible mentor in your application. Please note that this is a general call, not funded by my DFG grant.
• PhD Students (Funded by my DFG Grant)
  I am advertising one PhD position funded by my DFG grant as part of the general application round in Münster, open until November 1, 2026. If you are interested in working with me, consider listing me as a possible supervisor in your application.
• BSc, MSc or Visiting Students (Open to Inquiries)
  I am regularly looking for students to work with; this includes Bachelor's Theses, Master's Theses, and projects with (local or visiting) students. The earliest possible starting date is November 1, 2026. If you are interested, feel free to contact me by email.

News, Activities & Organization

News

• Oct 2026: I am advertising one PhD position funded by my DFG grant as part of the current call in Münster (Deadline: Nov 1).

Upcoming

• May 2027: I will participate in the workshop Scissors Congruence K-theory and Manifolds at BIRS in Banff, Canada.

Current

• Oct 2026: My co-authors and I uploaded a new paper on the arXiv.
• Oct 2026: I started my new position as Emmy Noether Research Group Leader at University of Münster funded by my DFG grant "Cohomology and K-theory: exploring new connections".
• Oct 2026 - Feb 2027: I am co-organizing the Research Seminar: Topology at the University of Münster.

Recent

• Apr 2026 - Sep 2026: I was the postdoctoral assistent for the lecture "Linear Algebra for Computer Scientists".
• Sep 2026: I participated in the poster session of the Opening Conference: 2nd Funding Period of Mathematics Münster with a poster on "Scissors automorphism groups" based on [8], [10] and forthcoming work.
• Aug 2026: I co-represented Mathematics Münster at NRW Day (80th anniversary of North Rhine-Westphalia).
• Jul 2026: I gave a talk about our new preprint in the research seminar Model theory and Groups, here in Münster.
• Jun 2026: I was accepted into the Emmy Noether Programme of the German Research Foundation (DFG).
• Apr 2026 - Jul 2026: I am co-organizing a learning seminar on Randal-William's "Chromatic approach to homological stability".
• May 2026: I visited the topology/geometry group at Universität Göttingen and spoke in the local research seminar.
• May 2026: My co-authors and I uploaded a new paper on the arXiv.
• Apr 2026: I co-organized the 4th Groups and Geometry in North Rhine-Westphalia; GGNRW is a series of one-day meetings, with the aim of bringing together geometric group theorists, topologists, and geometers.
• Mar 2026: I co-organized this terms CRC lecture on "Cohomology of arithmetic groups, locally symmetric spaces and automorphic forms".
• Oct 2025 - Mar 2026: I was the postdoctoral assistent for the lecture "Number theory for teaching degree students".
• Oct 2025 - Jan 2026: I participated in a learning seminar on "Ergodic Theory" organized by members of the research group "Groups, dynamics and C*-algebras" in Münster.
• Jan 2026: I visited the topology group at Universität Bonn and gave a talk in the local research seminar.
• Nov 2025: My co-authors and I uploaded a new paper on the arXiv.
• Oct 2025: I co-organized the workshop "Perspectives on the cohomology of general linear groups" in Münster.

Publications & Preprints

1. Double Steinberg coinvariants for special linear groups.
   ‣ with Tatiana Abdelnaim, David Chan, Alexander Kupers, and Matthew Scalamandre.
   ‣ arXiv, Sep 2026.
2. Scissors automorphism groups II: Solomon-Tits theorems.
   ‣ with Alexander Kupers, Ezekiel Lemann, Cary Malkiewich, and Jeremy Miller.
   ‣ arXiv, May 2026.
3. Even Temperley-Lieb algebras and the dga of planar loops.
   ‣ with Rachael Boyd, Guy Boyde, and Oscar Randal-Williams.
   ‣ arXiv, Nov 2025.
4. Scissors automorphism groups I: Homological stability and K-theory.
   ‣ with Alexander Kupers, Ezekiel Lemann, Cary Malkiewich, and Jeremy Miller.
   ‣ To appear in Journal für die reine und angewandte Mathematik.
   ‣ arXiv, Aug 2024.
5. Partial bases and homological stability of GL_n(R) revisited.
   ‣ with Calista Bernard and Jeremy Miller.
   ‣ Published in Transactions of the American Mathematical Society.
   ‣ arXiv, May 2024. Journal, Apr 2026.
6. Simplicial bounded cohomology and stability.
   ‣ with Thorben Kastenholz.
   ‣ Published in Advances in Mathematics.
   ‣ arXiv, Sep 2023. Journal, Jul 2026.
7. A presentation of symplectic Steinberg modules and cohomology of Sp_2n(ℤ).
   ‣ with Benjamin Brück and Peter Patzt.
   ‣ arXiv, Jun 2023.
8. Apartment classes of integral symplectic groups.
   ‣ with Benjamin Brück.
   ‣ Published in Journal of Topology and Analysis.
   ‣ arXiv, May 2023. Journal, Dec 2024.
9. On the top-dimensional cohomology of arithmetic Chevalley groups.
   ‣ with Benjamin Brück and Yuri Santos Rego.
   ‣ Published in Proceedings of the American Mathematical Society.
   ‣ arXiv, Oct 2022. Journal, Aug 2024.
10. On the codimension-two cohomology of SL_n(ℤ).
    ‣ with Benjamin Brück, Jeremy Miller, Peter Patzt and Jennifer C. H. Wilson.
    ‣ Published in Advances in Mathematics.
    ‣ arXiv, Apr 2022. Journal, Jun 2024.
11. The homology of a Temperley-Lieb algebra on an odd number of strands.
    ‣ Published in Algebraic & Geometric Topology.
    ‣ arXiv, Feb 2022. Journal, Oct 2024.

My PhD thesis, "Patterns in the homology of algebras: Vanishing, stability, and higher structures" (Sep 2021), is available here.

Talks & Travel

• Scissors automorphism groups.
  ‣ Sep 16, 2026. Poster at "Opening Conference: 2nd Funding Period of Mathematics Münster", Universität Münster.
• Scissors automorphism groups and Solomon-Tits theorems.
  ‣ Jul 16, 2026. Oberseminar Model theory and Groups, Universität Münster.
• Primary homological stability and stability Hopf algebras via E_k-cells. (expository)
  ‣ Jun 30, 2026. Learning Seminar "A chromatic approach to homological stability", Universität Münster.
• Steinberg modules and cohomology of arithmetic groups.
  ‣ May 19, 2026. Oberseminar Topology/Geometry, Universität Göttingen.
• Top-cohomology, modular symbols and operators. (expository)
  ‣ Mar 12, 2026. CRC Lecture, Universität Münster.
• Temperley-Lieb algebras and the dga of planar loops.
  ‣ Jan 20, 2026. Topology Seminar, Universität Bonn.
• On the Connes-Feldman-Weiss and Ornstein-Weiss theorems. (expository)
  ‣ Jan 13, 2026. Learning seminar "Ergodic Theory", University of Münster.
• The homology of diagram algebras. (mini-course, 4 lectures)
  ‣ Aug 6-8, 2025. "Finite-Dimensional Algebras: Representations, (Co-)Homology and Stability", Karlsruhe Institute of Technology.
• Scissors automorphism groups and their homology.
  ‣ Jun 26, 2025. TopICS, Radboud Universiteit Nijmegen.
• On Ørsnes Jansen's monoidal RBS-categories: commutativity and stability. (expository)
  ‣ May 21, 2025. Learning seminar "Kleines Topologie Seminar", University of Münster.
• K-theory, scissors congruence and dynamics. (online)
  ‣ May 6, 2025. South Atlantic Noncommutative Geometry Seminar (GeNoCAS), Universidad de Buenos Aires.
• Scissors automorphism groups and their homology.
  ‣ Jan 30, 2025. Après-midi de topologie, Université Paris Cité.
• On Szőke's Tits alternative for topological full groups. (expository)
  ‣ Jan 27, 2025. Learning seminar on topological and measurable full groups, University of Münster.
• On Harer-Zagier's formula for ζ(1-2g). (expository)
  ‣ Jan 22, 2025. Learning seminar on Euler characteristics, University of Münster.
• K-theory, scissors congruence and dynamics.
  ‣ Jan 7, 2025. Oberseminar C*-Algebren, Universität Münster.
• K-theory, scissors congruence and dynamics.
  ‣ Nov 28, 2024. Analysis Seminar, University of Glasgow.
• Scissors automorphism groups and their homology.
  ‣ Nov 27, 2024. Differential Geometry & Topology Seminar, University of Cambridge.
• Homological stability: From algebraic K-theory to bounded cohomology, scissors congruence and dynamics.
  ‣ Jul 23, 2024. Geometry and Topology Seminar, McMaster University.
• Scissors automorphism groups and their homology.
  ‣ Jul 9, 2024. "Scissors congruences, algebraic K-theory and Steinberg modules", American Institute of Mathematics.
• Homological stability and K-theory.
  ‣ Jun 14, 2024. Oberseminar Algebra und Geometrie, Heinrich Heine University Düsseldorf.
• Homological stability and K-theory.
  ‣ Jun 13, 2024. Wilhelm Killing Kolloquium: Postdocs of Mathematics Münster, University of Münster.
• High-dimensional rational cohomology of arithmetric groups I & II.
  ‣ May 28 and Jun 4, 2024. Mittagsseminar zur Arithmetik, University of Münster.
  ‣ with Benjamin Brück.
• Homological stability, K-theory and topological full groups: On recent work of Xin Li. (expository)
  ‣ May 27, 2024. Kleines Seminar, University of Münster.
• High-dimensional cohomology of arithmetic Chevalley groups.
  ‣ Mar 25, 2024. Poster at "Mathematics Münster Mid-term Conference", University of Münster.
  ‣ with Benjamin Brück.
• Simplicial bounded cohomology and stability.
  ‣ Feb 8, 2024. AG Algebraic and Geometric Topology, Karlsruhe Institute of Technology.
• Steinberg modules and (co-)homology of arithmetic groups.
  ‣ Jan 16, 2024. Topological Activities, Stockholm University.
• Simplicial bounded cohomology and stability. (online)
  ‣ Dec 11, 2023. IYSBC-SV Seminar.
• On Rognes' result that K_4(ℤ) = 0. (expository)
  ‣ Dec 6, 2023. Learning Seminar on K(ℤ), University of Münster.
  ‣ with Benjamin Brück.
• On Quillen's result that the K-theory of number rings is finitely generated. (expository)
  ‣ Nov 17, 2023. Learning Seminar on K(ℤ), University of Münster.
• Steinberg modules and high-dimensional rational cohomology of symplectic groups.
  ‣ Nov 8, 2023. Algebra and Number Theory Seminar, University of Glasgow.
• Steinberg modules and high-dimensional rational cohomology of symplectic groups.
  ‣ Oct 25, 2023. Oberseminar Topologie, University of Münster.
• Simplicial bounded cohomology and stability.
  ‣ Jul 20, 2023. "Stability in Topology, Arithmetic, and Representation Theory 2023", Purdue University.
• On the high-dimensional rational cohomology of arithmetic Chevalley groups.
  ‣ Apr 13, 2023. Topology Seminar, University of Michigan.
• On the high-dimensional rational cohomology of arithmetic Chevalley groups. (online)
  ‣ Dec 19, 2022. COGENT Seminar.
• On the high-dimensional rational cohomology of arithmetic Chevalley groups. (online)
  ‣ Dec 5, 2022. Topology Seminar, University of Minnesota.
• Partial bases and homological stability for general linear groups revisited.
  ‣ Oct 12, 2022. Purdue Topology Seminar, Purdue University.
• The homology of a Temperley-Lieb algebra on an odd number of strands. (online)
  ‣ Mar 23, 2022. IMUNAM Algebraic Topology Seminar, National Autonomous University of Mexico.
• On the high-dimensional rational cohomology of special linear groups.
  ‣ Jan 21, 2022. "Higher algebraic structures in algebra, topology and geometry", Institut Mittag-Leffler.
• Patterns in the homology of Iwahori-Hecke algebras.
  ‣ Dec 14, 2021. Geometry and Topology Seminar, McMaster University.
• On the high-dimensional rational cohomology of special linear groups.
  ‣ Nov 1, 2021. Geometry & Topology Seminar, University of Toronto.
• On the high-dimensional rational cohomology of symplectic groups.
  ‣ Jul 1, 2021. "High dimensional cohomology of moduli spaces", University of Copenhagen.
• Algebraic analogues of coset posets and the low dimensional homology of Iwahori-Hecke algebras.
  ‣ Aug 21, 2020. "Simplicial complexes workshop", University of Copenhagen.

Oct 1, 2026