Autumn School of the Felix Klein Academy 2025

Once a year, our institute hosts a week-long fall school for scholarship holders of the Felix Klein Academy. During this time, the students work together with us in groups on various projects. In addition to tasks related to the institute's work, the groups can also look forward to exciting specialist lectures and a colorful leisure program.

The groups are made up of mathematics students in various semesters at the University of Kaiserslautern-Landau (RPTU) in Rhineland-Palatinate. Their task is to translate a real-world problem into a mathematical one. They present their results to the whole group at the end of the week. This year, a total of 12 participants took part, who were able to choose in advance between two projects with different thematic focuses:

Our Groups 2025

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Group 1

Participants in the FKZM Autumn School 2025 — © Fraunhofer ITWM
Participants in Group 1 during group work at the 2025 Autumn School on the topic of »End-to-End Vision-based Autonomous Driving via Reinforcement Learning«.

First Group »End-to-End Vision-based Autonomous Driving via Reinforcement Learning«

Supervisor: Filippo Palascino, Division »Mathematics for Vehicle Engineering«.

In this project, the group is jointly developing a reinforcement learning-based controller that allows a vehicle to follow a specified route as reliably as possible. The benchmark is a published benchmark, which they aim to surpass in terms of precision and speed with their approach.

The goal is to ultimately construct a system as a group that demonstrates the potential of RL in this context – and where its limitations lie.

Group 2

Second Group »Optimal Robot Control in Warehouse Logistics«

Supervisor: Jannek Bukold, Division »Optimization«.

In this project, participants work on the optimal control of a robot in an automated warehouse. The robot is tasked with transporting a specified list of goods to an elevator in a specific order. It may happen that the target goods are blocked by other goods or that detours are necessary.

The goal is to work together to develop solutions that enable the robot to complete the tasks as quickly and efficiently as possible.

Leisure Program – Between Escape Room and Mobility Group

As a non-mathematical counterbalance, participants will go to an escape room in groups, where they will have to solve exciting puzzles together. At the end of the event, an excursion to DB Fernverkehr AG in Frankfurt am Main will also be offered.

Experiencing Mathematics: Portraits of Young Talents

This year, we would like to introduce you to two young talents who found their way to us through the »Early Start in Mathematics« (Früheinstieg ins Mathematikstudium, FiMS) program at the University of Kaiserslautern-Landau (RPTU) and are now studying as Felix Klein scholarship holders: Michael Troe and Laura Engels. In this interview, they talk about their experiences, impressions, and enthusiasm for mathematics.

© Fraunhofer ITWM
Michael Troe interviewed by Esther Packullat.

Michael Troe: Already a Mathematics Student at 16

At just 16 years of age, Michael Troe is an exceptionally young mathematics student – and recently became a Felix Klein scholarship holder. »I was very fortunate to have been supported by wonderful mathematics teachers since I started school,« says Michael. This enabled him to complete the school curriculum for the higher grades at an early age. In FiMS, he found »the perfect chance to engage intensively with mathematics alongside his schoolwork.« After successfully completing his early studies, he will now begin his regular studies at RPTU in October. »After several semesters of this double life in distance learning, I am now eagerly awaiting face-to-face study. My lecturers at RPTU told me about the option to apply for a Felix Klein scholarship. I am very excited about the many opportunities this scholarship now opened.«

Community in the »House of Mathematics«

Previously, he only knew Kaiserslautern from soccer, but now he feels really at home in the city. And that’s despite being so far away from home – it’s about 460 kilometers from Hemmingen near Hanover to Kaiserslautern. Since early summer, he’s been living in the »House of Mathematics«: »Even though you spend most of your time at the university, the house offers further opportunities to exchange ideas with like-minded math students. I consider it an honor to live in this special community. One of my roommates is even attending the fall school this week.«

Michael is part of the project group »Optimal Robot Control in Warehouse Logistics,« which is supervised by project manager Jannek Bukold. He finds »the unfamiliarity of such a simple question« particularly exciting – namely, how to develop efficient strategies for loading and unloading in automated warehouses. His conclusion is very positive: »Working with the others is a stimulating experience. The whole week is a real highlight!«

Mentoring and New Perspectives

As a scholarship recipient, Michael will be accompanied by his mentor Falco Schneider, whom he will soon meet in person. He is looking forward to working together: »With his experience, he will certainly be able to support me in one or two decisions during my studies.«

Michael Troe is the youngest Felix Klein scholarship recipient. But he is not the only one who discovered his passion for mathematics at an early age: Laura Engels is another talented young mathematician who found her way to FiMS and is now receiving a Felix Klein scholarship.

Laura Engels: First Steps via Fims and the Math Talent School

The 18-year-old comes from the Wurster North Sea coast, and this isn't her first time spending a whole week studying math with us at Fraunhofer ITWM. The Math Talent School in June 2024 convinced her: »The Talent School actually led me to rethink my choice of study. I actually wanted to study business informatics, but after the practical week, it was clear to me that I would study mathematics after all.« That's when she first heard about the early entry program for mathematics studies at RPTU and enrolled right away: »I wanted to see if the program was really something for me.«

More than a year later, she will begin studying mathematics at RPTU in October and will be accompanied by her mentor Tobias Seidel as a Felix Klein scholarship holder. »We've already met, and he also accompanied us on the trip to Deutsche Bahn yesterday. Tobias is definitely an ambitious role model for me.«

Math Talent School 2024 – Special Edition Girls-Camp — © Fraunhofer ITWM
Laura Engels at the Math Talent School in June 2024.

Teamwork is the focus for her this week: »For me, the real highlight of project weeks like this is always the start of the group work. At the beginning, everyone is bursting with ideas and it's still completely open as to how the problem will be approached. You learn new concepts that you don't necessarily apply, but you learn so much.« At the Felix Klein Autumn School, Laura is working in the project group »Optimal Robot Control in Warehouse Logistics,« where the groups consist of very mixed teams. »Of course, I still ask a lot of questions because I'm one of the younger ones,« says Laura. »But in general, I'm enthusiastic about applied mathematics because I like solving puzzles. It's not just simple arithmetic like it usually is in school, but playing with logic.«

© Fraunhofer ITWM
Laura Engels interviewed by Esther Packullat.

From the Sea to Mathematics – Between the North Sea and the Palatinate Forest

Even though she comes from a completely different landscape, she already feels very much at home among the hills and forests of the Palatinate. »The city and the people are much more diverse than where we come from, and it's very international here. I really like the landscape – it's more mountainous and definitely has more forests.« She is already gathering important impressions for her future path: »At the moment, I'm very sure that I want to go into research after my studies.«