The University of Trier, and in particular Department IV with its Computer Science division, mourns the passing of Professor Dr. Dieter Baum, who died on March 7, 2016, at the age of 77 after a long and serious illness. Professor Baum was Professor of Computer Science in Department IV of our university from 1984 until September 2003.

Professor Baum, born on June 4, 1938, in Berlin, earned his diploma in pure mathematics with a minor in quantum theory from the Free University of Berlin in 1966 and subsequently worked at the Hahn-Meitner Institute for Nuclear Research in Berlin until 1982. In 1972, he received his doctorate (Dr. rer. nat.) from the Technical University of Berlin and completed his habilitation there in 1982 with a thesis on "Analytical Treatment of Operating and Communication Systems." After a one-year visiting professorship at Oregon State University, USA, he accepted a professorship in computer science at the University of Dortmund in 1983. From there, he was appointed to our university in 1984 to the professorship of "Stochastic Modeling and Computer Networks." He declined a recall to the University of Dortmund in 1988. Between 1999 and 2001, Professor Baum served as Dean of Department IV at our university. On October 1, 2003, he was placed into well-deserved retirement.

The existence of computer science as a subject at the University of Trier is thanks to his dedication, as he initiated its development. From his initial proposals in 1987, he tirelessly promoted the expansion of computer science and the establishment of computer science degree programs. In 1991, the first students were able to enroll in a "Mathematical Computer Science" program; later, the degree programs in business information systems and computational linguistics, which he had anticipated, were also implemented.

Professor Baum was a member of the German Informatics Society (GI), the German Mathematical Society (DMV), the Association for the Computing Machinery (ACM), the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE), and the German Association of University Professors and Lecturers. He also participated in 14 national and international research projects, mostly in a leading role, funded by organizations including the German Research Foundation (DFG), the European Community, NATO, the German Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF), the European Space Agency (ESA), and the Canadian company Nortel Networks. He published more than 70 scientific papers and gave well over 100 presentations at international conferences and workshops.

Even after his retirement, he remained dedicated to his field and especially to his research area, stochastic modeling. He published two more books, most recently his book on the "Fundamentals of Queueing Theory" in 2013. Unfortunately, he did not have time for a planned third book.
Professor Baum passed away on March 7, 2016, after a long and serious illness, surrounded by his family. The university will cherish his memory.

University Trier: 1994 - March 2003
Moved to TU Munich

University Trier: 2007 - December 2016 

University Trier: 2003- 2017 (retired)
Endowed Professorship in Business Informatics