Strassen

Strassen is a surname of German origin. Notable bearer include Volker Strassen, a German mathematician who in 1969 introduced an algorithm for fast matrix multiplication that bears his name.

The Strassen algorithm is a divide-and-conquer method for multiplying two square matrices. It partitions each matrix into four blocks and uses seven multiplications of these blocks, along with additions and subtractions, to produce the product. This reduces the asymptotic complexity from O(n^3) to approximately O(n^2.8074). The method was the first to beat the cubic bound and influenced subsequent work on faster matrix multiplication. In practice, it can be slower for small matrices due to overhead and numerical stability concerns; modern libraries use optimized variants that balance speed and accuracy.

Strassen is also a commune and town in southwestern Luxembourg, near Luxembourg City. As a municipality, it has its own local government and is part of the country’s system of cantons and communes.