Subgroups of free proalgebraic groups and Matzat’s conjecture for function fields

Abstract

We show that a closed finite index subgroup of a free proalgebraic group is itself a free proalgebraic group. As an application, we prove that the absolute differential Galois group of a one-variable function field over an algebraically closed characteristic zero field of infinite transcendence degree is a free proalgebraic group.