The Mukhin-Tarasov-Varchenko Theorem (previously the Shapiro Conjecture) asserts that a Schubert problem has all solutions distinct and real if the Schubert varieties involved osculate a rational normal curve at real points. When conjectured, it sparked interest in real osculating Schubert calculus, and computations played a large role in developing the surrounding theory. Our purpose is to uncover generalizations of the Mukhin-Tarasov-Varchenko Theorem, proving them when possible. We also improve the state of the art of computationally solving Schubert problems, allowing us to more effectively study ill-understood phenomena in Schubert calculus. We use supercomputers to methodically solve real osculating instances of Schubert problems. By studying over 300 million instances of over 700 Schubert problems, we amass data significant enough to reveal generalizations of the Mukhin-Tarasov- Varchenko Theorem and compelling enough to support our conjectures. Combining algebraic geometry and combinatorics, we prove some of these conjectures. To improve the efficiency of solving Schubert problems, we reformulate an instance of a Schubert problem as the solution set to a square system of equations in a higher- dimensional space. During our investigation, we found the number of real solutions to an instance of a symmetrically defined Schubert problem is congruent modulo four to the number of complex solutions. We proved this congruence, giving a generalization of the Mukhin-Tarasov-Varchenko Theorem and a new invariant in enumerative real algebraic geometry. We also discovered a family of Schubert problems whose number of real solutions to a real osculating instance has a lower bound depending only on the number of defining flags with real osculation points. We conclude that our method of computational investigation is effective for uncovering phenomena in enumerative real algebraic geometry. Furthermore, we point out that our square formulation for instances of Schubert problems may facilitate future experimentation by allowing one to solve instances using certifiable numerical methods in lieu of more computationally complex symbolic methods. Additionally, the methods we use for proving the congruence modulo four and for producing an

The major part of this thesis revolves around the real algebraic geometry of curves, especially curves of degree six. We use the topological and rigid isotopy classifications of plane sextics to explore the reality of several features associated to each class, such as the bitangents, inflection points, and tensor eigenvectors. We also study the real tensor rank of plane sextics, the construction of quartic surfaces with prescribed topology, and the avoidance locus, which is the locus of all real lines that do not meet a given plane curve. In the case of space sextics, a classical construction relates an important family of these genus 4 curves to the del Pezzo surfaces of degree one. We show that this construction simplifies several problems related to space sextics over the field of real numbers. In particular, we find an example of a space sextic with 120 totally real tritangent planes, which answers a historical problem originating from Arnold Emch in 1928. The last part of this thesis is an algebraic study of a real optimization problem known as Weber problem. We give an explanation and a partial proof for a conjecture on the algebraic degree of the Fermat-Weber point over the field of rational numbers.

This thesis consists of two parts, a first part on computations in algebraic geometry, and a second part on deformation quantization. More specifically, it is a collection of four papers. In the papers I, II and III, we present algorithms and an implementation for the computation of degrees of characteristic classes in algebraic geometry. Paper IV is a contribution to the field of deformation quantization and actions of the Grothendieck-Teichmüller group. In Paper I, we present an algorithm for the computation of degrees of Segre classes of closed subschemes of complex projective space. The algorithm is based on the residual intersection theorem and can be implemented both symbolically and numerically. In Paper II, we describe an algorithm for the computation of the degrees of Chern-Schwartz-MacPherson classes and the topological Euler characteristic of closed subschemes of complex projective space, provided an algorithm for the computation of degrees of Segre classes. We also explain in detail how the algorithm in Paper I can be implemented numerically. Together this yields a symbolical and a numerical version of the algorithm. Paper III describes the Macaulay2 package CharacteristicClasses. It implements the algorithms from papers I and II, as well as an algorithm for the computation of degrees of Chern classes. In Paper IV, we show that L-infinity-automorphisms of the Schouten algebra T_poly(R^d) of polyvector fields on affine space R^d which satisfy certain conditions can be globalized. This means that from a given L-infinity-automorphism of T_poly(R^d) an L-infinity-automorphism of T_poly(M) can be constructed, for a general smooth manifold M. It follows that Willwacher's action of the Grothendieck-Teichmüller group on T_poly(R^d) can be globalized, i.e., the Grothendieck-Teichmüller group acts on the Schouten algebra T_poly(M) of polyvector fields on a general manifold M. / <p>At the time of the doctoral defense, the following papers were unpublished and had a status as follows: Paper 2: Manuscript. Paper 3: Manuscript. Paper 4: Accepted.</p>