Python Boot Camp

Synopsis

As part of our plan to use the Python programming language to integrate computer modelling/simulation/analysis throughout the undergraduate physics-archive curriculum (as discussed at a department meeting March 29, 2018), we are planning to run a Python Bootcamp. This is mainly for faculty members and support staff who will be involved in teaching courses where data analysis or computer modelling will be used, but other members of the department are welcome to attend, particularly if they plan to be a TA in a lab course. The lectures will be run workshop-style and will be led by Nicholas Lee-Hone. Please bring a laptop if possible. 

Here is an outline of what will be covered:

• July 8 Lecture 1: Numerical computation with Numpy
  • Loading and saving data
  • Manipulating arrays (broadcasting)
  • Math on arrays (including linear algebra)
• July 9 Lecture 2: Scientific computation with Scipy
  • Integration
  • Root finding
  • Solving ODE and PDE
• July 10 Lecture 3: Plotting with Matplotlib
  • Scatter plots
  • Histograms
  • Bar charts
  • etc...
• July 11 Lecture 4: Fitting to data with Numpy, Scipy and Matplotlib
• July 12 Lecture 5: TBD - possibilities include:
  • How to use Jupyter notebooks in a teaching environment
  • Monte carlo simulations
  • ... Other requests?