Start of studies

Studying Mathematics in Freiburg: Starting Guide

You have decided to study mathematics in Freiburg and have enrolled in one of the of the two bachelor degree programs in mathematics (Bachelor of Science or Two-Major Bachelor) or in the Master of Education as an additional field. What do you have to do now before starting your studies?

The short answer is: Come to the preliminary course if you need to and by all means come to the Introductory Week ; you usually don't need to do anything before then. Some typical questions are also answered here; further questions can be answered, if necessary, by the Academic Advisory Service of the Institute of Mathematics or students from the student council .

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To begin with, you only need paper and pens to study mathematics pens, but no calculator or collection of formulas or anything similar. Internet access is extremely useful (theoretically you can also use PC pools at the university); later on in the course of your studies your own computer will be useful. You do not need your own books to start your studies: lecture notes of the lectures are often available as pdf files; textbooks can be borrowed from the library; you can also access them via your account at the computer center you also have access to many mathematical e-books. You will also receive the weekly exercises as pdf files (which you can also print out from the student PC pool at the Institute's student PC pool).

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Preparation for University Studies:

Accompanying University Studies:

  • Oliver Deiser et. al. „12 x 12 Schlüsselkonzepte zur Mathematik“, Springer Spektrum 2012. (Description available at review in the Mitteilungen der GDM)
  • Markus Junker „Einführung in Sprache und Grundbegriffe der Mathematik“ (PDF), Winter Semester 2010/11 (with minor revisions in 2017).

Popular Science Books on Mathematical Topics:

  • Günter M. Ziegler „Darf ich Zahlen? Geschichten aus der Mathematik"; Piper Taschenbuch, 2010.
  • Donal O’Shea „The Poincaré Conjecture: In Search of the Shape of the Universe“, Walker 2007. Translation by Hartmut Schickert: „Poincarés Vermutung. Die Geschichte eines mathematischen Abenteuers“, S. Fischer, 2007. Paperback edition by Fischer.
  • Simon Singh „Fermat's Last Theorem“, London 1997. Translation by Klaus Fritz: „Fermats letzter Satz“, Hanser 1998. Paperback edition by dtv.

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You should subscribe to courses that you want to attend, i.e. via the HISinOne campus management system to submit your participation request (instructions in the wiki ). Non-subject-specific courses (especially at the Faculty of Engineering) are sometimes only available after the start of lectures.

In the two-major bachelor you should use the timetable - depending on your second subject. If you have any problems, please contact the academic advise office. Otherwise, you do not need to do anything else.

In the one-major bachelor you should think about the choice of application subject. Information on the application subject can be found here . If you want to study a special application subject, you should apply for this in the week before the start of lectures. If you wish to attend courses in biology prior participation in the General safety instruction is required (online module on the learning platform ILIAS at Magazine > Inter-semester content > Faculty of Biology > Information about the degree program ).

If you want to take a BOK course in the first semester at the Center for Center for Key Qualifications in the first semester, you must register online September/beginning of October (more information and deadlines information and deadlines on the website of the ZfS). Registration for vacation courses in the lecture-free period between winter and summer semester takes place later.

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General

You have to compile the timetable yourself. Normally it is sufficient if you do this in the week before the start of lectures. Dates for tutorials are not even fixed until the first week of lectures.

All mathematics degree programs build on the basic lectures in analysis and linear algebra: "Analysis I" and "Linear Algebra I" are offered every winter semester, "Analysis II" and "Linear Algebra II" are offered every summer semester. Each of these courses consists of a four-hour lecture and a two-hour tutorial.

Times and rooms

The lecture Linear Algebra I usually takes place on Mondays and Thursdays and the lecture Analysis I takes place on Tuesdays and Wednesdays, from 8:15 to 10 am. There are a variety of dates for the tutorials; registration usually takes place in the first week of lectures, depending on the rest of the timetable. The tutorials are organized by the lecture assistant, who you can contact if you have any problems. (You can find out who the assistant is in the Mathematics course catalog , the contact details in our directory of staff.)

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Your studies in the Bachelor of Science degree course in Mathematics you start your mathematics studies with the two courses Analysis I and Linear Algebra I. In addition to the mathematics courses, you should also attend a course from your application subject and, in addition, possibly an elective module from another subject or a course at the Center for key qualifications (Zentrum für Schlüsselqualifikationen, ZfS) in the following lecture-free period.

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For your study in the two-major Bachelor's degree program you can either study with both courses Linear Algebra I and Analysis I or with only one of them - depending on your courses in the second subject and whether you want to do a little more mathematics at the beginning or a little more in your other subject. (Information on the different course variants can be found here.)

In the two-major subject degree program, there are also compulsory courses from your other major subject; if you choose the teacher training option, you may possibly also the lecture Introduction to the educational sciences.

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The degree program Master of Education as an extension subject also begins with the basic lectures in analysis and linear algebra. You study it in parallel with the two-major Bachelor's degree program in your first two subjects as soon as you have passed the orientation exam. Usually you will only have time for one of the two lectures Linear Algebra I and Analysis I and can use the notes on the Study program options for mathematics in the two-major bachelor's degree program orient.

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What is the precourse?

Every winter term, the Mathematical Institute offers a precourse for first-year students in mathematics. This precourse is intended to facilitate entry into studying mathematics, but is not a prerequisite. Usually, it takes place two weeks before the start of lectures.

Date and location

  • The 2024 precourse is scheduled to begin on Monday,September 30th. Further information.
  • To find the lecture halls, please use the university map.

Registration and preparation

  • Please register via kosmic
  • Please bring something to write (e.g. paper and pen).

Mathematics precourses for other degree programmes

Students studying mathematics and physics sshould preferably take the physics precourse.

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Every winter term, the Student Council organizes the welcome week for first-year students in mathematics. During this week, the new mathematics students can get to know each other, but also students in higher semesters. The lecturers of the first-semester lectures introduce themselves, and there are guided tours of the Mathematical Institute, the University and the city of Freiburg. In order to clarify open questions about the course of studies, the Student Advisory Service offers an information event during the introductory week. Participation in the introductory week is highly recommended for all first semester students. The new Master's students are also invited – there are some special programme items for them.

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The introduction week takes place every winter term two weeks before the start of the lectures. This year it begins on 7 October at 9 a.m. in the Mathematical Institute, Ernst-Zermelo-Straße 1, with a common breakfast. No registration is necessry – just come!

Special programme items for the Master's students: - Master of Education in Mathematics: Informations about the study programme on Tuesday, October 8, 2024, at 2 p.m. in SR 404. - Master of Science in Mathematics: Informations about the study programme on Tuesday, October 8, 2024, at 3 p.m. in SR 404. - Master of Science Mathematics in Data and Technology: Welcome event on Monday, October 14, 2024, at 11 a.m. in SR 404.

You will find the programme at short notice here. - Information slidesfrom the Mathematics Student Advisory (2023)

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You can find all events in the App myUFR.

  • Fresher's Day , the central welcome of the University, this year on Friday, 11 October 2024 at 2 p.m. in the football stadium of the SC Freiburg.
  • Central welcome event for teacher students in the Bachelor study programme on Thursday, 10 October 2024, 4–5 p.m. in the Paulussaal.
  • Central information event for students in the Master of Education study programme on Thursday, 10 October 2024, 10–12 a.m. in HS 1199 (KG I).

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You can find the start and end of the lecture periods of each semester on this page.

The first semester lectures in mathematics - Analysis I and Linear Algebra I - start on Monday and Tuesday of the first week of lectures at 8:15 am. The lecture hall is usually the "Rundbau" (no. 28 in the site plan).

No registration is required for the lectures, but prior booking via the HISinOne campus management system. You will receive all relevant information in the first lecture. In particular, you will be told how to register for exercises (tutorials). There are several alternative dates; they are distributed with or after registration.

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In most cases in the following rooms:

Name Adresse (OSM)
HS Rundbau Albertstr. 21a
HS Weismann-Haus Albertstr. 21
HS II Albertstr. 23b
SR 119 Ernst-Zermelo-Str. 1
SR 125 Ernst-Zermelo-Str. 1
SR 127 Ernst-Zermelo-Str. 1
SR 218 Ernst-Zermelo-Str. 1
SR 318 Ernst-Zermelo-Str. 1
SR 403 Ernst-Zermelo-Str. 1
SR 404 Ernst-Zermelo-Str. 1
SR 414 Ernst-Zermelo-Str. 1
SR 226 Hermann-Herder-Str. 10

(HS = lecture hall ("Hörsaal"), SR = seminar room)

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Working together

Working alone

Working with a PC

UB

Diverse student work stations can also be found at the University Main Library ("UB") (Platz der Universität 2).

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There is an assistant for every lecture, who takes care of all organizational issues and to whom you can turn in case of problems, especially if there are scheduling difficulties with the tutorials. The name of the assistant is in the course catalog of the Institute of Mathematics as noted for each lecture.

The assistants also organize the distribution of the students to the exercise groups/tutoring sessions. They usually use the HISinOne campus management system, in which you can register online for a desired date within a certain period of time ("belegen"), provided there are still places available in the tutorial. The deadline usually runs until the first week of lectures. If you still need a place in a tutorial after the deadline (because the start of your studies has been delayed for any reason) or if there are scheduling difficulties after you have been allocated a place (e.g. because of a different tutorial allocation), please contact the assistant!

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There is no compulsory attendance in lectures, but usually in tutorials (which often only start in the second week of lectures). However, regular participation in the lectures is strongly recommended, and without regular preparation and follow-up work lectures is hardly possible. It is therefore essential to work hard from the very beginning.

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There are "orientation achievements" in both Bachelor's degree programs, which must be passed by the end of the 3rd semester:

  • In the (1-major) Bachelor of Science degree program, these are the two written exams on Analysis I and to Linear Algebra I .
  • In the 2-major Bachelor's degree, one of the two exams must be passed by the the end of the 3rd semester, for the other there is no deadline. However, the orientation performance/examination in the second subject is added.

Please note that you must take each of the two courses Analysis I and Linear Algebra I and you must pass two separate course assessments: Exercises and written exam. You must register for both in due time via the campus management systems HISinOne. See also the information on examinations in the Two-major Bachelor , (resp BSc Mathematics , in the MEd extension subject (120 ECTS), or in the MEd extension subject (90 ECTS).)

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Further information on the individual degree programs, useful links and study documents such as module handbooks and examination regulations can be found on the information pages of the individual degree programs:

Degree programs for first-year students in mathematics:

Advanced Studies

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The second parts Analysis II and Linear Algebra II are completed in the 2nd semester and follow on from the 1st semester. Both end with an oral examination on Analysis I and II and Linear Algebra I and II . There are two examination periods per year for these examinations: April and October (more precisely: about three weeks before the start of each lecture and the first week of lectures). You can split these two exams to different semesters, in the 3rd semester then follows Analysis III, Numerics I and Stochastics I as compulsory lectures.

Also for the 2nd semester is the programming course Introduction to programming for students of natural sciences on Center for Key Qualifications (ZfS), which forms part of the BOK area. Please note the ZfS application deadlines, which are at the end of March/beginning of April!

From around the 3rd semester onwards, you will be able to take elective courses in addition to the compulsory courses according to your interests; an overview of the regular range of suitable of suitable lectures can be found here (pdf). Take a look at the course catalog before the start of the semester; preferably also in the online version, as there may be interesting two-hour lectures suitable for Bachelor students may be added at short notice. When selecting the the required prior knowledge, which can be found in the module handbook or in the annotated course catalog are described.

It is best to complete the proseminar in the 3rd or 4th semester. Each semester, around four proseminars on different topics are offered. Registration for a Proseminar takes place towards the end of the previous semester; please note the modalities published in the comments on the courses.

You are welcome to discuss your study plans with the Academic advisory office or one of the lecturers. At irregular intervals there are also information events in which the various specializations focus areas are introduced and ways to complete a Bachelor's thesis are shown.

Please always remember to register for examinations in good time and registration of coursework in good time!

When planning your studies, please also note the requirements for the ECTS points for the individual areas: at least 132 ECTS points in mathematics (including Bachelor's thesis and the "internal BOK area", i.e. practical numerical exercise, proseminar and seminar); a minimum of 8 and a maximum of 16 BOK points at the ZfS (of which usually 6 of these through the programming course); completed application subject and 0 to a maximum of 20 creditable ECTS points in the elective area.

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The second parts of Analysis II and/or Linear Algebra II follow on from the 1st semester. Both end with an oral examination on Analysis I and II and Linear Algebra I and II . For these examinations there are two examination periods in the year: April and October (more precisely: about three weeks before the start of lectures and the first week of lectures). You can split these two exams over different semesters, even if you have attended both basic lectures at the same time.

If you choose the teaching degree option, it is advisable to complete the orientation internship between the 1st and 2nd semester the orientation internship (including preparation and follow-up work). The prerequisite is that you have already attended the course Introduction to the educational sciences .

For the rest of the program, the courses in mathematics are are largely prescribed. You have options for the practical exercise and the proseminar:

  • (At least) three practical exercises are offered each year: the programming course Introduction to programming for students of natural sciences the Practical Exercise in Numerics (annual event starting in the winter semester) and the practical exercise in stochastics (currently every semester). See also: Information from the student council on the elective options.
  • Each semester, around four proseminars are offered on different topics. Registration for a proseminar takes place towards end of the previous semester; please note the information published in the comments on the courses.

After the basic lectures Analysis I and II resp. Linear Algebra I, II you can spread the remaining compulsory courses in mathematics as you wish over the remaining semesters. The practical exercise however, should not be attended before the corresponding lecture but preferably at the same time. Some of the offered seminars may require further lectures than just the basic lectures.

Please always remember to register for examinations in good time and registration of coursework in good time!

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Planning for a possible semester/year abroad during your Bachelor's degree program should begin at the end of the 2nd semester/beginning of the 3rd semester at the latest. More information can be found on the website of the International representative of the Institute of Mathematics and the International Office of the University of Freiburg.