We describe an algorithm to compute Whitney stratifications of real algebraic varieties. The basic idea is to first stratify the complexified version of the given real variety using conormal techniques, and then to show that the resulting stratifications admit a description using only real polynomials. This method also extends to stratification problems involving certain basic semialgebraic sets as well as certain algebraic maps. One of the map stratification algorithms described also yields a new method for solving the real root classification problem. This is joint work with Vidit Nanda (Oxford).
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