Geir Ellingsrud is professor

Professor

A professor is a scholarly teacher; the precise meaning of the term varies by country. Literally, professor derives from Latin as a "person who professes" being usually an expert in arts or sciences; a teacher of high rank...

 of mathematics

Mathematics

Mathematics is the study of quantity, space, structure, and change. Mathematicians seek out patterns and formulate new conjectures. Mathematicians resolve the truth or falsity of conjectures by mathematical proofs, which are arguments sufficient to convince other mathematicians of their validity...

 at the University of Oslo

University of Oslo

The University of Oslo , formerly The Royal Frederick University , is the oldest and largest university in Norway, situated in the Norwegian capital of Oslo. The university was founded in 1811 and was modelled after the recently established University of Berlin...

, where he specialises in algebra

Algebra

Algebra is the branch of mathematics concerning the study of the rules of operations and relations, and the constructions and concepts arising from them, including terms, polynomials, equations and algebraic structures...

 and algebraic geometry

Algebraic geometry

Algebraic geometry is a branch of mathematics which combines techniques of abstract algebra, especially commutative algebra, with the language and the problems of geometry. It occupies a central place in modern mathematics and has multiple conceptual connections with such diverse fields as complex...

.

He took the cand.real. degree at the University of Oslo in 1973, and the doctorate at Stockholm University

Stockholm University

Stockholm University is a state university in Stockholm, Sweden. It has over 28,000 students at four faculties, making it one of the largest universities in Scandinavia. The institution is also frequently regarded as one of the top 100 universities in the world...

 in 1982. He was a lecturer at Stockholm University from 1982 to 1984, associate professor at the University of Oslo from 1984 to 1989, professor at the University of Bergen

University of Bergen

The University of Bergen is located in Bergen, Norway. Although founded as late as 1946, academic activity had taken place at Bergen Museum as far back as 1825. The university today serves more than 14,500 students...

 from 1989 to 1993 and at the University of Oslo since 1993. He has been a visiting scholar in Nice, Paris, Bonn and Chicago. He has edited the journals Acta Mathematica

Acta Mathematica

Acta Mathematica is a journal publishing original research papers in all fields of mathematics. The journal was founded by Gösta Mittag-Leffler in 1882 and is published by Institut Mittag-Leffler, a research institute for mathematics belonging to the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences...

and Normat.

In 2005 Ellingsrud was elected to be rector of the University of Oslo for the period 2006-2009. His team also consisted of Inga Bostad and Haakon Breien Benestad. He did not seek reelection to a second term, and was succeeded by Ole Petter Ottersen

Ole Petter Ottersen

Ole Petter Ottersen is a Norwegian professor of medicine.His field is neuroscience, and he is a former director of the Centre for Molecular Biology and Neuroscience at the University of Oslo. In 2009 he entered the race to become rector of the University of Oslo. The rector is elected by students...

.