Felix Klein Autumn School 2026 Recap

Leonhard Mühlberger: Finding Your Own Path Through Mathematics

When Leonhard Mühlberger attended the Math Talent School in 2023, he wanted one thing above all else: to find out how mathematics is applied outside of the classroom. Three years later, he is about to begin his mathematics studies at the University of Kaiserslautern-Landau (RPTU). As a new scholarship recipient of the Felix Klein Academy, he participates in the 2026 Autumn School here at our institute, where he works with his group on current research questions.

First Encounter with Kaiserslautern

Math was Leonhard’s favorite subject in school.  However, he had a defining experience at the Math Talent School. He still remembers the project-based approach in particular. »You could do things on your own and really dig into problems as a team. The social program was great, too.«

In addition to the academic work, he especially valued the interactions with the students and mentors who guided the projects. This not only gave him insights into applied mathematics but also taught him a lot about everyday student life in Kaiserslautern. »At school, you often learn very little about potential career paths – that aspect tends to get overlooked,« says the 19-year-old. »I found out about the Felix Klein Scholarship for Mathematics more by chance, because one of the mentors brought it to my attention.«

From Lake Chiemsee to Kaiserslautern

Leonhard is leaving his home in Bavaria to start college. Having grown up in a small town near Lake Chiemsee, he made a conscious decision to move to Kaiserslautern. »I first came to Kaiserslautern in 2023 for the Math Talent School. Now I’ve moved here to attend college.«

Support for Starting College

Leonhard isn’t on his own as he begins his studies and scholarship program. Every new scholarship recipient is assigned a personal mentor from among the experienced Felix Klein students. Leonhard’s mentor is Mareike Witzig, who herself received support from the Felix Klein Academy and also participated in the Autumn Schools. The two haven’t met in person yet, but that’s set to change soon. For Leonhard, this mentorship is a valuable opportunity to ask questions about his studies and benefit from others’ experiences.

Especially for first-year students, the mentoring program provides an easy introduction to the world of higher education and facilitates a dialogue on equal footing with students who have already walked this path.

Learning from Experienced Scholarship Recipients

As a new scholarship recipient, Leonhard particularly benefits from interacting with the other participants at the Autumn School. Unlike at the Math Talent School, the Autumn School brings together students from different semesters. »I am the only brand-new scholarship recipient. So, of course, I can learn a lot from the others now«.

Mathematics with Practical Applications

At the Math Talent School, he had already worked with other students from all over Germany on a project titled »Is a Tape Measure Enough to Determine My Body Fat Percentage?« For this project, the group learned the basics of linear regression and applied these methods to real-world datasets using the R programming language. For Leonhard, this was a great opportunity at the time to apply mathematics in a practical way and gain programming experience. At the same time, comparing this to his current project at the Autumn School highlights just how diverse the applications of mathematics are: »Back then, it was about body fat measurement and statistics; now we’re working on an optimization problem for road traffic.«

His group is investigating how through traffic in residential areas can be reduced by selectively reversing the direction of individual one-way streets. To do this, the participants are modeling road networks as mathematical graphs and developing suitable solutions.

»We had initially calculated a ‘wrong model.’ We had forgotten to take traffic lights and turns into account, even though they obviously affect travel time. That made us realize how important it is to make the right assumptions,« Leonhard reports. This impressively demonstrated to them that mathematical models aren’t simply given; they must be carefully developed.

A Look into the Future

For the newly awarded scholarship recipient, the Autumn School marks the beginning of a new chapter in his life. The intensive project work and the exchange of ideas reinforce his decision. »Above all, the level is different. At the Autumn School, we work more independently. Programming plays a bigger role, and we delve deeply into methods used in research and practice. That’s exactly what I like: I’m learning a lot of new things.«

Leonhard is also discovering – even outside his traffic planning project – that applied mathematics goes far beyond traditional math problems. He’s especially looking forward to the field trip, where he’ll explore another area of application in which mathematics plays a key role: »We’re also going on a field trip to the House of Water. There are also projects at the institute focused on drinking water supply; Prof. Karl-Heinz Küfer has already reported on those.«

His journey exemplifies how programs like the Math Talent School can inspire young talent to pursue applied mathematics and how initial insights can lead to a scientific career.