Anton Freund

Prof. Dr. Anton Freund is a tenure-track professor and Emmy Noether group leader at the University of Würzburg’s Department of Mathematics (Mathematical Logic). He holds the Chair of Mathematics III and specializes in proof theory, reverse mathematics, and ordinal analysis. His research focuses on well-ordering principles, dilators, and the logical strength of combinatorial principles.

Education & Career:

• Bachelor/Master (2008–2014): LMU Munich, with a gap year in Paris
• PhD (2014–2018): University of Leeds under Michael Rathjen
• Postdoc (2018–2021): TU Darmstadt with Ulrich Kohlenbach
• Emmy Noether Group Leader (2021–2023): TU Darmstadt
• Current: Tenure-track professor & Emmy Noether Group Leader at Würzburg

Research Interests: Freund investigates foundational aspects of mathematics via proof-theoretic methods. Key themes include ordinal analysis of subsystems of arithmetic, combinatorial principles (e.g., Kruskal’s theorem, Higman’s lemma), and the interplay between computability and set-theoretic reflection principles. His work bridges constructive mathematics and impredicative systems, often employing dilators and ordinal notation systems.

Publications: Freund’s recent work explores topics like provable dilators, Bachmann-Howard fixed points, and the logical strength of minimal bad arrays. These contributions advance understanding of reverse mathematics and computational aspects of proof theory.

Awards & Grants: He leads an Emmy Noether Research Group funded by the German Research Foundation (DFG), reflecting his role in advancing foundational mathematical research.

Lab & Collaboration: His team includes Alexandra Fick and Davide Manca. Collaborations span institutions like Leeds, Darmstadt, and international journals in mathematical logic.