The freeness property for locally nilpotent derivations of k[x,y,z]

Abstract: We prove Freudenburg's Freeness Conjecture: Let B be the polynomial ring in three variables over a field of characteristic zero, let D : B --> B be a nonzero locally nilpotent derivation, and let A = ker(D). Then B is a free A-module, and there exists a basis $(e_i)_{i \in \mathbb{N}}$ of B such that deg$_D(e_i) = i$ for all $i \in \mathbb{N}$.