Module description
The Linear Algebra I module introduces the concepts of vector spaces and linear mappings. Vector spaces are early examples of abstract spaces, which play a central role in modern mathematics. As a result, you will encounter the ideas of linear algebra in many other modules.
Contact
Lecturer: Thomas Mettler
Assistant: Tim Maruhn
Lecture Notes
The module is based on lecture notes available in both PDF and HTML formats. While both versions contain identical core content, the HTML version includes solutions to the exercises in the lecture notes, additional multiple-choice questions, and some animations. You are currently viewing the HTML version of the module.
Schedule
On Wednesday evenings, at 18:00 there is an exercise session on Zoom
https://fernuni.zoom.us/my/tim.maruhn
which is run by Tim Maruhn. During the exercise session, you can ask questions, receive help with the current exercise sheet, and discuss solutions to the previous one. The exercise sheet must be submitted by the following Monday at 10:00 via upload on Moodle.
Five times per semester, there is an interactive lecture on Zoom given by Thomas Mettler.
https://fernuni.zoom.us/my/thomas.mettler
A digital calendar file containing all teaching events is available for download here. A tabular overview of the course schedule is as follows:
| Study Week | Dates | Events |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Sep 8 — Sep 12 | Begin course |
| 2 | Sep 15 — Sep 19 | Ex. Session 1 |
| Sep 20 | Lecture 1 | |
| 3 | Sep 22 — Sep 26 | Ex. Sheet 1 due, Ex. Session 2 |
| 4 | Sep 29 — Oct 3 | Ex. Sheet 2 due, Ex. Session 3 |
| 5 | Oct 6 — Oct 10 | Ex. Sheet 3 due, Ex. Session 4 |
| 6 | Oct 13 — Oct 17 | Ex. Sheet 4 due, Ex. Session 5 |
| Oct 18 | Lecture 2 | |
| 7 | Oct 20 — Oct 24 | Ex. Sheet 5 due, Ex. Session 6 |
| Oct 27 — Oct 31 | Break | |
| 8 | Nov 3 — Nov 7 | Ex. Sheet 6 due, Ex. Session 7 |
| 9 | Nov 10 — Nov 14 | Ex. Sheet 7 due, Ex. Session 8 |
| Nov 15 | Lecture 3 | |
| 10 | Nov 17 — Nov 21 | Ex. Sheet 8 due, Ex. Session 9 |
| 11 | Nov 24 — Nov 28 | Ex. Sheet 9 due, Ex. Session 10 |
| 12 | Dec 1 — Dec 5 | Ex. Sheet 10 due, Ex. Session 11 |
| Dec 6 | Lecture 4 | |
| 13 | Dec 8 — Dec 12 | Ex. Sheet 11 due, Ex. Session 12 |
| 14 | Dec 15 — Dec 19 | Ex. Sheet 12 due, Ex. Session 13 |
| Dec 20 | Lecture 5 |
Grading & Exam
The exam takes place 24 January 2026 online on Zoom.
To be admitted to the examination, you must meaningfully work on at least 75% of the exercise sheets (9 out of 12). This can be done by solving the exercises correctly or by showing a clear effort in attempting to solve them. In general, don't worry about meeting this requirement, as we will be generous in evaluating whether an exercise sheet has been meaningfully attempted.
Each exercise is graded with 0 to 3 points. The nine exercise sheets with the highest points will amount for 10% of your final grade. The remaining 90% are determined through an oral exam.
During the oral exam, you are expected to demonstrate a thorough understanding of the lecture notes, videos, and exercise sheets. You may be asked to state definitions or theorems, explain proofs, or perform calculations, often involving all these elements. The exam will last between 20 to 30 minutes, depending on the time needed to assign an accurate grade. Ensure you have a computer or tablet ready for writing and screen sharing.
Recordings
All exercise sessions and interactive lectures will be recorded and made accessible on Switch Tube. Additionally, all recordings will be embedded within the HTML version of the lecture notes.
Online Meeting Room
Outside of the exercise classes, the Zoom room linked below can always be used by students for online meetings:
https://fernuni.zoom.us/my/tim.maruhn
Moodle Page
https://moodle.fernuni.ch/course/view.php?id=4144
Last Update: Wed 10 December 2025 - 18:47 on tmL