At present, about 1700 students are enrolled at the Faculty of Mathematics and Physics in Bachelor of Science, Master of Science and Master of Education study programmes. Moreover, the faculty contributes to the curricula of many other faculties, most notably Computer Science, Microsystems Engineering, Medicine, Biology, Chemistry, Pharmacology, and Geoscience.
The main areas of research at the Institute of Mathematics are: algebra, number theory, geometry, analysis, model theory, algorithmic logic, theory and numerics of partial differential equations, and, finally, stochastics and financial mathematics. The section for didactics of mathematics is a special teaching unit providing practical skills for teachers. The Institute of Mathematics hosts the DFG (German Research Foundation) research training group ‘Cohomological Methods in Geometry’.
The Institute of Physics hosts the DFG research training group ‘Mass and Symmetries after the Discovery of the Higgs Particle at the LHC’ (RTG 2044), the international research training groups ‘Cold Controlled Ensembles in Physics and Chemistry’ (IRTG 2079) and ‘Soft Matter Science: Concepts for the Design of Functional Materials’ (IRTG 1642)
Research Topics at the Institute of Physics: A strong atomic and molecular physics group, with expertise ranging from mathematical physics over ion trap, Bose-Einstein condensation and Rydberg physics to femtosecond spectroscopy of macro-molecular structures, together with the sun physics group, strongly relies on light-matter-interaction for the detailed analysis of complex structures and transport processes on very diverse scales. Classical and quantum theory of complex systems, with a strong computational component, join with experimental polymer science, nano-magnetism and photovoltaic research in the broad context of condensed matter and applied physics.
The Institute of Physics has strong and internationally very visible experimental and theoretical particle physics groups. The experimental programme is focussed on experiments at the European Centre for particle physics, CERN, in Geneva/Switzerland. Physicists from the institute have contributed significantly to the discovery of the Higgs boson via their strong involvement in the ATLAS experiment. Another research line is the direct search for dark matter with low-background detectors. The activities in particle theory range from precision studies of the strong and electroweak interactions over quantum-field-theoretical aspects to the exploration of model extensions with new theoretical structures.
The Faculty of Mathematics and Physics has close connections to the Kiepenheuer Institute for Solar Physics and to various institutes of the Fraunhofer Gesellschaft such as the Institute for Solar Energy Systems ISE, the Institute for Applied Solid-State Physics IAF, the Institute for Physical Measurement Techniques IPM and the Institute for Mechanics of Materials IWM. Moreover, the faculty contributes to the university's interdisciplinary research centres for materials research, for data analysis and modeling, and for biosystems analysis.