Here are various materials and links related to my classes.
Astrostatistics and machine learning
MSc in Astrophysics, Milano-Bicocca
The use of statistics is ubiquitous in astronomy and astrophysics. Modern advances are made possible by the application of increasingly sophisticated tools, often dubbed as “data mining”, “machine learning”, and “artificial intelligence”. This class provides an introduction to (some of) these statistical techniques in a very practical fashion, pairing formal derivations with hands-on computational applications. Although examples will be taken almost exclusively from the realm of astronomy, this class is appropriate for all Physics students interested in machine learning.
Scientific computing with Python
PhD in Physics and Astronomy at Milano-Bicocca
The python programming language and its library ecosystem are essential tools in modern science. This class provides an advanced introduction to python and its main functionalities, focusing in particular on its applications to computational physics. Targeted topics include: array vectorization with numpy, pretty plotting with matplotlib, scientific recipes with scipy, just-in-time compilating with numba, module packaging, and unit testing. I will also introduce other essential computational tools, notably Mathematica for symbolic manipulation and git for version control. The format will be highly interactive and tailored to the research interests of the participants.
Laboratory of machine learning applied to physical systems
BSc in Artificial Intelligence, joint Milano-Bicocca + Milano-Statale + Pavia
Machine learning and data mining are quickly becoming essential techniques in the field of (astro)physics. Such powerful tools provide precious insights into the laws governing natural processes and shed light on the information contained in experimental datasets. This lab provides a quick introduction to such topics, equipping students with some essential background to apply their data-science knowledge to core physical problems.
General physics for Computer Science majors
BSc in Computer Science at Milano-Bicocca
This is a general physics class covering mechanics, thermodynamics, and electromagnetism, delivered to students majoring in Computer Science at the University of Milan-Bicocca. All class material is in Italian.
Black holes and gravitational waves
PhD in Physics and Astronomy at Birmingham
This class targets PhD students (but interested master’s students can enjoy it too!) and was delivered within the Midlands Physics Alliance Graduate School (MPAGS) together with C. Moore and P. Schmidt.
Year 1 astrolab
BSc in Physics at Birmingham
Astrolab is a first-year undergraduate class in observational astronomy. Unfortunately, the links above require a University of Birmingham account. For a paper describing an older version of the Birmingham Astrolab class, see Elliott (2003).
Other teaching material
- simplestrocket: Stacked ball drop
A neat calculation on dropping balls on top of each other, from my year 1 tutoring sessions in Birmingham.
- nsphere: Volumes of spheres in N-dimensions
This is based on a “postdoc-lunch” discussion I lead at Caltech in 2018ish. I calculate the volume of spheres in many dimensions… Some surprises here.