Homepage for UWB Portal News

Zdeněk Ryjáček spent more than 55 years of his life at the University of West Bohemia in Pilsen, teaching first at VŠSE and later at the University of West Bohemia starting in 1971. As one of the university’s key figures, he made significant contributions to its direction and development. From 1992 to 1998 and 2001 to 2004, he served as Vice Rector for Academic and Pedagogical Affairs, playing a key role in the modernization of higher education. It was Professor Ryjáček whom then-Rector Jiří Holenda tasked with preparing a reform of the study program based on the principles of the credit system and related changes. This work resulted in the IS/STAG information system, which became one of the most significant systemic contributions of the University of West Bohemia to Czech higher education. For many years, he was also a member of the Scientific Council of the University of West Bohemia and the Scientific Council of the Faculty of Applied Sciences.

Zdeněk Ryjáček was born on January 6, 1948. He studied Mathematical Analysis at the Faculty of Mathematics and Physics of Charles University. In 1991, he completed his habilitation in Mathematics at the University of West Bohemia in Pilsen; six years later, he was appointed professor in the same field, and in 2000, he was awarded the academic degree of DrSc. in Geometry and Topology at Masaryk University in Brno.

Professor Ryjáček has become an internationally recognized expert in the fields of discrete mathematics and theoretical computer science. He is the author or co-author of nearly a hundred significant mathematical papers published in prestigious international journals, which are among the most frequently cited cornerstones of the field. He gained worldwide recognition primarily for his discovery of the so-called Ryjáček closure. In layman’s terms, this is a procedure that allows the original graph structure to be converted into a simpler and more transparent version.

“In addition to his conceptual and scientific work, Zdeněk Ryjáček was above all a dedicated teacher. His lectures stood out for their precision, logical structure, and ability to convey enthusiasm for the beauty of mathematics. Under his guidance, a number of successful followers grew up, for whom he was not only a mentor but also a role model and friend,” recalled Gabriela Holubová, the current head of the Department of Mathematics.