Abstract The traditional way of solving non-linear least squares (LS) problems in Geodesy includes a linearization of the functional model and iterative solution of a nonlinear equation system. Direct solutions for a class of nonlinear adjustment problems have been presented by the mathematical community since the 1980s, based on total least squares (TLS) algorithms and involving the use of singular value decomposition (SVD). However, direct LS solutions for this class of problems have been developed in the past also by geodesists. In this contributionwe attempt to establish a systematic approach for direct solutions of non-linear LS problems from a "geodetic" point of view. Therefore, four non-linear adjustment problems are investigated: the fit of a straight line to given points in 2D and in 3D, the fit of a plane in 3D and the 2D symmetric similarity transformation of coordinates. For all these problems a direct LS solution is derived using the same methodology by transforming the problem to the solution of a quadratic or cubic algebraic equation. Furthermore, by applying TLS all these four problems can be transformed to solving the respective characteristic eigenvalue equations. It is demonstrated that the algebraic equations obtained in this way are identical with those resulting from the LS approach. As a by-product of this research two novel approaches are presented for the TLS solutions of fitting a straight line to 3D and the 2D similarity transformation of coordinates. The derived direct solutions of the four considered problems are illustrated on examples from the literature and also numerically compared to published iterative solutions.