| 10593051 | COMPUTATIONAL BIOPHYSICS [INF/01] [ENG] | 1st | 1st | 6 |
Educational objectives GENERAL OBJECTIVES:
This course is designed as an introduction to computational biology and biophysics. It aims to bridge the gap between institutional learning and active research. The course is structured around three main aspects: i) TOPICS (principles, ideas); ii) METHODS (algorithms and computational techniques); iii) PERSPECTIVES of contemporary computational biology. Extensive reference and critical introductions to literature and current texts will be provided as guides for individual study. Efforts will be made to provide a clear framework of bibliographic references for each topic discussed, aiding in preparation for the final exam. At the end of the course, special guests will present original research lines of interest to students in biosystems, materials physics, and theoretical courses. By successfully completing the course, students will be able to navigate the world of computational biophysics at various scales (from molecules to cells) and master the main computation and analysis algorithms used in the field.
SPECIFIC OBJECTIVES:
A - Knowledge and Understanding
SO 1) Gain a historical-critical perspective of modern computational biology/biophysics
SO 2) Understand the fundamentals of modern evolutionary theory
SO 3) Gain practical experience with data analysis models based on Bayesian inference
SO 4) Gain direct experience with major bioinformatics databases (SwissProt, pFam, PDB,…)
B - Applied Skills
SO 7) Translate at least the main computational biophysics simulation and analysis algorithms into pseudo-code
SO 8) Improve programming skills in scripting languages (Python) or compiled languages (C/C++)
SO 9) Execute a molecular dynamics simulation of a small protein on GROMACS
C - Judgment Autonomy
SO 10) Evaluate the quality of a scientific article
D - Communication Skills
SO 11) Report the results of a research project to the class participants
SO 12) Actively participate in classroom discussions (in Italian and/or English)
E - Learning Skills
SO 13) Acquire fluency in consulting specific databases (e.g., PubMed, Google Scholar) to support/refute a research hypothesis
SO 14) Actively participate in the organization of self-learning groups
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| 10592734 | NONLINEAR AND QUANTUM OPTICS [FIS/03] [ENG] | 1st | 1st | 6 |
Educational objectives The student will acquire knowledge of the fundamental principles of light-matter interaction studied via semi-classical and quantum approaches. Moreover, the student will study different aspects related to the quantum mechanical nature of light and its characterization according to photon statistics. During the course, the student will also deal with non-linear optics and will study some practical applications of quantum optics.
A - Knowledge and understanding
OF 1) To understand the fundamentals of quantum optics and non linear optics.
OF 3) To understand phenomena related to light-matter interaction, using both semi-classical and quantum approaches.
B - Application skills
OF 4) To be able to use semi-classical and quantum approaches to understand phenomena related to the interaction of light with matter.
OF 5) To be able to apply the basic principles of quantum optics to solve simple problems related to the knowledge acquired during the course.
C - Autonomy of judgment
OF 6) To be able to evaluate which optical phenomena require a classical or quantum treatment of the electromagnetic field to be explained.
OF 7) To develop quantitative reasoning abilities and problem-solving skills, which represent the basis to study, model and understand quantum phenomena related to light-matter interaction.
D - Communication skills
OF 8) To know how to communicate the knowledge acquired during the course via presentation of a scientific work related to one particular topic discussed during the lecture.
E - Ability to learn
OF 9) Have the ability to consult scientific papers in the field of quantum optics.
OF 10) Have the ability to understand practical applications that use the basic principles of quantum optics.
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| 10592732 | SOFT AND BIOLOGICAL MATTER [FIS/03] [ENG] | 1st | 1st | 6 |
Educational objectives GENERAL OBJECTIVES: The "Soft and Biological Matter" course aims to provide the necessary knowledge to understand the structure of soft and biological matter, in the relevant scales of
length and time. Important arguments include the origins of the effective forces between macromolecules, the aggregation processes which result in the formation of vesicles, micelles, membranes, the formation of gel phases, structural and dynamic properties of synthetic and biological (nucleic acids and proteins) polymers. At the end of the course, students will develop quantitative reasoning and analytical skills useful for studying, modelling and understanding phenomena related to the dynamic and structural properties of soft and biological matter.
SPECIFIC OBJECTIVES:
A - Knowledge and understanding
OF 1) To understand the physics of soft and biological matter
OF 2) To understand energetic and entropic forces
OF 3) To understand molecular aggregation
OF 4) To understand thermodynamic stability and critical phenomena in soft matter
B - Application skills
OF5) To be able to apply learned methods/techniques to novel problems
C - Autonomy of judgment
OF 6) To be able to apply the topic discussed in the course to the general context of soft and biological matter.
D - Communication skills
E - Ability to learn
OF 7) To be able to understand a scientific publication and deepen her/his own understanding of the arguments discussed in the course.
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| 10593225 | STATISTICAL MECHANICS AND CRITICAL PHENOMENA [FIS/02] [ENG] | 1st | 1st | 6 |
Educational objectives This course analyzes the theory of phase transitions and of critical
phenomena. We develop in detail the theory of the Renormalization
Group of statistical systems, both with regard to the so-called
renormalization group in real space and to the one in momentum
space. The course will lead to an awareness of the general ideas that
are the basis of the theory of phase transitions and to a mastery of
the detailed techniques that allow for the development of the
necessary calculations.
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| 1055361 | BIOPHYSICS [FIS/03] [ENG] | 1st | 2nd | 6 |
Educational objectives GENERAL OBJECTIVES
The bacterial cell occupies the same special place in biological physics as the hydrogen atom does in condensed matter physics, and for the same reasons. Bacteria are the first "atoms" of life to appear in the known Universe, and everything fundamental in life is found in bacteria, in its simplest forms. The aim of the course is to investigate some fundamental aspects of living systems in a journey that starts from the internal mechanisms by which the bacterial cell "thinks" and acts, passing through how the individual cell moves in the external physical environment and ending with the study of the collective behaviour of bacterial colonies.
All topics covered in the course are based on recent literature and discuss both experimental aspects and theoretical modelling.
SPECIFIC OBJECTIVES
A - Knowledge and understanding
OF 1) To know and understand the fundamentals of gene regulation in prokaryotes and the dynamics of transcriptional networks.
OF 2) To know and understand the fundamentals of low Reynolds number fluid dynamics.
OF 3) To know and understand the main manifestations of the out of equilibrium nature of active matter.
B - Application skills
OF 4) To be able to discuss the dynamical behaviour of a transcriptional network.
OF 5) Tp be able to solve some elementary problems of low Reynolds hydrodynamics.
OF 6) Tp be able to model the stochastic dynamics of active particle systems.
OF 7) To be able to describe with continuous models the growth of bacterial colonies.
C - Autonomy of judgement
OF 8) Using the knowledge acquired, the student will be able to formulate new models capable of describing situations not covered in the course.
D - Communication skills
OF 9) To know how to communicate in written reports an advanced concept.
OF 10) To be able to present a recent line of research in biophysics.
E - Ability to learn
OF 11) To be able to read independently scientific texts and articles in order to elaborate on the topics introduced in the course.
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| 1055351 | COMPUTER ARCHITECTURE FOR PHYSICS [INF/01] [ENG] | 1st | 2nd | 6 |
Educational objectives A - Knowledge and understanding
OF 1) To know the elements of the computer hardware and software architecture and to understand their interactions.
OF 2) To know the techniques needed to develop optimized code for a given computer architecture.
OF 3) To know the fundamentals of logic design of digital circuits using hardware description languages (VHDL).
B - Application skills
OF 4) To be able to evaluate the execution performance of code on a given computer architecture.
OF 5) To be able to develop scientific code optimized for a given computer architecture.
OF 6) To be able to select the computer architecture best suited for a given application.
OF 7) To be able to implement a circuit through VHDL coding and to simulate its behaviour.
C - Autonomy of judgment
OF 8) To be able to integrate the knowledge acquired in order to apply them for the processing needs in the experimental or theoretical Physics.
D - Communication skills
E - Ability to learn
OF 9) Have the ability to follow up the development in computer architectures.
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| 1055348 | MATHEMATICAL PHYSICS [MAT/07] [ENG] | 1st | 2nd | 6 |
Educational objectives Obiettivi generali: to acquire knowledge on the fundamental topics of Mathematical Physics and on the corresponding mathematical methods.
Obiettivi specifici:
Knowledge and understanding:
At the end of the course the student will master the basic elements of dynamical systems theory, the mathematical structure of Hamiltonian formalism and perturbation theory, the basic methods for the study of some aspects of Modern Physics (Statistical Mechanics or Quantum Mechanics) from the point of view of Mathematical Physics.
Applying knowledge and understanding:
Students who have passed the exam will be able to: i) study the stability of equilibrium points; ii) use the Hamilton-Jacobi method for the determination of first integrals; iii) introduce action-angle variables for an integrable Hamiltonian system; iv) apply perturbation theory to specific physical problems obtaining qualitative and quantitative information on the motion; v) approach a rigorous analysis of some problems of Statistical Mechanics or Quantum Mechanics.
Making judgments :
Students who have passed the exam will be able to understand a mathematical-physics approach to problems and to analyze similarities and differences with respect to the typical approach of Theoretical Physics.
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| 10592574 | NEURAL NETWORKS [FIS/02] [ENG] | 1st | 2nd | 6 |
Educational objectives A - Knowledge and understanding
OF 1) Starting from the study of neurobiology of the nervous system, the student will first concentrate on the mechanisms regulating the electro-chemical properties of nerve cells and their connections, eventually studing the dynamics of populations of neuronal networks. The knowledge acquired will be on nonlinear and statistical physics compared to experimental data.
OF 2) The students will develop generally applicable skills in the field of theoretical physics of the complex systems and the nonlinear dynamics.
B - Application skills
OF 3) The student will be able to understand the dynamics of neuronal populations at the basis of the cognitive functions like decision making and short-term memory.
OF 4) The student will be able to apply analysis techniques and methods to electrophysiological data.
C - Autonomy of judgment
OF 5) By attending the lessons and with the regular interaction during the lessons themselves, the student will develop adequate autonomy of judgment, as he/she will be able to interface constantly with the teacher and critically analyze the information learned.
D - Communication skills
OF 6) The skills on the neurobiology of the nervous system will allow the student to interact with environments different from physics, enabling him/her to initiate multidisciplinary interactions in the life sciences.
E - Ability to learn
OF 7) The student will have the ability to evaluate and solve various problems of both data analysis and physics of complex systems.
OF 8) The acquired knowledge will allow the student to tackle the study of interdisciplinary papers on the physical phenomena underlying the behavior of the nervous system.
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| 10592735 | NONLINEAR WAVES AND SOLITONS [FIS/02] [ENG] | 1st | 2nd | 6 |
Educational objectives Formative targets:
The objectives of the course are to bring the student to a deep knowledge and understanding of the basic mathematical properties i) of the nonlinear wave propagation with or without dispersion or dissipation; ii) of the construction of nonlinear mathematical models of physical interest, through the multiscale method, like the soliton equations, and of the mathematical techniques to solve them, arriving to the introduction of current research topics in the theory of solitons and anomalous waves. At the end of the course the student must be able i) to apply the acquired methods to problems in nonlinear physics even different from those studied in the course, in fluid dynamics, nonlinear optics, theory of gravitation, etc .., solving typical problems of the nonlinear dynamics; ii) to integrate in autonomy the acquired knowledges through the suggested literature, to solve also problems of interest for him/her, and not investigated in the course. The student will have the ability to consult supplementary material, interesting scientific papers, having acquired the right knowledges and critical skill to evaluate their content and their potential benefits to his/her scientific interests. At last the student must be able to conceive and develop a research project in autonomy. In order to achieve these goals, we plan to involve the student, during the theoretical lectures and exercises, through general and specific questions related to the subject; or through the presentation in depth of some specific subject agreed with the teacher.
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| 10592565 | PHOTONICS [FIS/03] [ENG] | 1st | 2nd | 6 |
Educational objectives GENERAL OBJECTIVES:
Provide fundamental notions of: ultrashort pulses generation and propagation in linear and non-linear media, characterization of time and frequency, spatial and polarization profiles. Pinpoint selected examples of ultrafast processes in physics, chemistry and biology (molecular switches, photoreceptors isomerization, photoinduced processes in
hemeproteins). Highlight novel approaches to non linear imaging and
related instrumentation. Hands on laboratory tutorials.
SPECIFIC OBJECTIVES:
A - Knowledge and understanding
OF 1) To know photonics foundations and its most common application
OF 2) To understand non linear processes relevant for propagation of light pulses in materials
OF 3) Understand principles of non-linear spectroscopy illustrated by Feynman diagrams
B - Application skills
OF 4) Learn how to apply equations for linear and non linear propagation to real cases such as short pulses in optical fibers.
OF 5) Solve problems related to evaluation of cross sections for linear and non linear spectroscopies
OF 6) To be able to apply numerical techniques for the evaluation of radiation – matter interaction
C - Autonomy of judgment
OF 7) To be able to apply in the future the acquired skills to complex problems in photochemistry and photobiology
D - Communication skills
OF 8) To know how to communicate the critical steps necessary to solve elementary problems dealing with spectroscopy and light matter interaction in non linear regime
E - Ability to learn
OF 10) Have the ability to autonomously consult scientific articles to expand the knowledge developed in the course
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| 1044819 | PHYSICS OF LIQUIDS [FIS/03] [ENG] | 1st | 2nd | 6 |
Educational objectives GENERAL OBJECTIVES:
The course in Physics of Liquids aims to provide the necessary knowledge
to understand the disordered state of matter. Emphasis will be directed toward the
connection between the inter-particle interaction potential and the resulting
equilibrium structure. The themes of short-range ordering
and of the dynamics in the fluid and glass phases
will be studied in depth. At the end of the course, students will develop quantitative reasoning skills and analytical abilities useful for studying, modelling and understanding phenomena related to disordered soft matter.
SPECIFIC OBJECTIVES:
A - Knowledge and understanding
OF 1) To know the theory of classical fluids, from mean field models, to integral theories and perturbative approaches.
OF 2) To understand the physical basis of the integral closures.
OF 3) To know how to extract structural and dynamical quantities from the scattering of X rays and neutrons.
OF 4) Know how to go from a microscopic theory to a hydrodynamic theory.
B - Application skills
OF 5) To be able to compute the cluster integrals that compose the virial coefficient for simple interaction potentials.
OF 6) To be able to solve the equations governing the structure of a fluid in the presence of external fields.
OF 7) To be able to apply perturbative techniques
…
C - Autonomy of judgment
OF 8) To be able to understand the results of experiments and simualtions on simple and complex liquids.
OF 9) To be able to integrate the knowledge acquired in order to choose the best closure relations for a particular problem.
D - Communication skills
OF 10) To know how to communicate the results of experiments and simulations on simple liquids.
E - Ability to learn
OF 11) Have the ability to consult and understand books and articles in order to gain a deeper knowledge of the topics discussed during the course.
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| 1055684 | SPECTROSCOPY METHODS AND NANOPHOTONICS [FIS/03] [ENG] | 1st | 2nd | 6 |
Educational objectives GENERAL OBJECTIVES:
Nanophotonics and Spectroscopic Methods" course aims to provide the necessary knowledge on spectroscopic and nanophotonics techniques in condensed matter to understand the characteristics of materials from the point of view of electronic, reticular and vibrational degrees of freedom both at equilibrium and out of equilibrium. Different spectroscopic techniques: neutron scattering, scattering and absorption of electromagnetic radiation, will be studied within the formalism of the scattering matrix S and the linear response theorem. It will be understood how from these techniques it is possible to study the spectrum of fundamental excitations in condensed matter such as the phonon spectrum, the electronic absorption of free particles, the effects of the superconductive transition in electromagnetic properties, the vibrational transitions in liquids and biophysical systems. At the end of the course, students will develop quantitative reasoning skills and analytical resolution skills useful for studying, modeling and understanding phenomena related to the electronic and vibrational properties of condensed m
SPECIFIC OBJECTIVES:
A - Knowledge and understanding
OF 1) Know the fundamentals of the different spectroscopies in the linear response
OF 2) To understand how to obtain the spectrum of the relevant excitations of dense and diliut liquids and crystalline solides.
OF 3) Understanding the principles of the interaction between radiation and matter neutrons matter
B - Application skills
OF 4) Learn how to choose the most advantageous spectroscopic technique for the study of specific condensed matter problems
OF 5) Understanding the complementarity between spectroscopic techniques
OF 6) Be able to understand the potential and experimental limitations of the various techniques considered
C - Autonomy of judgment
OF 7) To be able to apply in the future the acquired skills to the more general context of condensed matter physics
D - Communication skills
OF 8) Knowing how to communicate the basic concepts of the different spectroscopic techniques and the results potentially obtainable in the various fields.
E - Ability to learn
OF 10) Have the ability to autonomously consult basic textbooks and in some cases scientific articles to expand the knowledge developed in the course
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| 10592572 | THEORETICAL BIOPHYSICS [FIS/02] [ENG] | 1st | 2nd | 6 |
Educational objectives GENERAL OBJECTIVES:
The main objective of the course in Theoretical Biophysics is to show how statistical physics has a crucial role for a quantitative understanding of many biological
phenomena. To this aim, the course focuses on two very general aspects present in a variety of biological processes: the role of noise and the signal to noise ratio; the
emergence of collective phenomena.
SPECIFIC OBJECTIVES:
A - Knowledge and understanding
OF 1) To acquire some fundamental background in statistical physics, related in particular to elementary stochastic processes, critical phenomena and statistical inference
OF 2) To learn the phenomenology of several important biological processes such as chemotaxis and chemoreception, photoreception, proteins, neural networks, living active matter and collective motion.
OF 3) to acquire modeling techniques
B - Application skills
OF 4) To be able to apply theoretical concepts and models to the quantitative description of the phenomenology experimentally characterized. To build models starting from the data.
C - Autonomy of judgment
OF 5) To be able to modify approaches derived from statistical physics to study specific phenomena occurring in biological systems.
D - Communication skills
E - Ability to learn
OF 6) Have the ability to consult and study scientific texts and literature of both theoretical and experimental character in a highly interdisciplinary context.
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| 1044546 | MOLECULAR BIOLOGY [BIO/11] [ENG] | 1st | 2nd | 6 |
Educational objectives GENERAL OBJECTIVES:
The Molecular Biology course is designed to provide students the conceptual and methodological basis required to study the molecular mechanisms regulating gene expression in physiological and pathological conditions, including epigenetics. In addition to the knowledge on the structure and metabolism of nucleic acids, the course will introduce the most relevant techniques of DNA cloning, DNA and RNA manipulation and the applications of Genetic Engineering to basic research and biomedicine. Topics discussed will also include the recent generation of sequencing technologies in light of their importance for the recent annotation of emerging noncoding RNA genes. The discovery of long noncoding and circular RNAs will be also discussed as well as the in vivo approaches used to study their functional role (practical examples taken from recent literature will be used). The course will include lectures and seminars. By the end of the course, students will be able to apply the acquired knowledge to the study of the basic mechanisms of gene expression, as well as of complex processes such as development, cell division and differentiation, and to exploit them for a practical use in both basic and applied research.
SPECIFIC OBJECTIVES:
A - Knowledge and understanding
OF 1) to know the mechanisms of regulation of gene expression and the technological methods available to intervene on it;
OF 2) to know the structure and function of the genome in humans and in the main model systems;
OF 3) to know the origin and the maintenance of the biological complexity;
OF 4) to understand the influence of the modern sequencing technologies for a better description and for the study of transcriptome dynamics in humans and in the main model systems;
OF 5) to understand the network of interactions between the biological molecules in the mechanisms of regulation of gene expression.
B - Application skills
OF 6) To be able to discriminate techniques to apply according to the different problems to be dealt with in the molecular biology field
C - Autonomy of judgment
OF 7) To be able to use the specific terminology;
OF 8) To be able to interpret the biological phenomena in a multi-scale and multi-factorial context;
OF 9) To be able to interpret the results of genomic studies
D - Communication skills
OF 10) To know how to report papers already present in the literature in the form of an oral presentation
E - Ability to learn
OF 11) Have the ability to search and consult the scientific literature in the main biological databases
OF 12) Have the ability to evaluate the importance and the stringency of the published data
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| 10599951 | Group Theory in Mathematical Physics [MAT/07] [ENG] | 1st | 1st | 6 |
Educational objectives GENERAL OBJECTIVES:
The main goal of the course is to introduce students to the mathematical theory of groups (mainly: discrete groups and compact Lie groups) by a Mathematical Physics approach which emphasizes the role of representations of symmetries in terms of states or observables of the corresponding theory. Such an approach allows an immediate comparison between classical theories (Poisson brackets) and quantum theories (commutators).
SPECIFIC OBJECTIVES:
A - Knowledge and understanding
OF1) To know the fundamental concepts in the theory of finite groups and matrix Lie groups, and in the theory of their linear, unitary or projective representations.
OF2) To know the mathematical structure of the Lie groups which more often appear in physical theories, and to understand the relation between such groups and the symmetries of the physical theory.
OF3) To understand the role of symmetries and Lie groups in (relativistic) field theories.
OF4) To understand the mathematical language of differential forms, and the reformulation of electromagnetism in such a language.
B – Application skills
OF 5) To be able to compute the commutation relations among the generators of the Lie algebra of a given (matrix) Lie group; to be able to explicitly compute such commutation relations in the most relevant cases: the rotation group, the Poincaré group, and the group SU(3).
OF 6) To be able to compute the tensor product of two representations of the rotation group, by using the Wigner Eckart theorem; to be able to interpret the result of such a computation in the application to compound systems (e.g. molecules).
OF7) To be able to determine whether a given differential form is closed and/or exact; to be able to translate the concepts concerning differential forms in the analogous concepts of vector analysis (gradient, curl or rotational, divergence) and vice versa.
C - Autonomy of judgment
OF 8) To be able to critically read an advanced book on symmetries in physics.
OF 9) To be able to integrate the knowledge acquired within the course, in order to apply them in the context of different physical theories, in connection e.g. with high energy physics or with condensed matter physics.
D – Communication skills
OF 10) Ability to discuss the symmetries of a physical system by appropriately using the language of differential forms and Lie groups.
E - Ability to learn
OF 11) Ability to read advanced monographies and research papers, which usually use the mathematical language of Lie groups and differential forms.
OF 12) Ability to "construct" a physical theory, by implementing in the theory the symmetries of the physical system under investigation, using Lie algebras and Lie groups as a fundamental tool.
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| 10616466 | Computational Statistical Mechanics [FIS/03] [ENG] | 1st | 1st | 6 |
Educational objectives The course of Computational Statistical Mechanics aims to provide the necessary knowledge to understand and implement classical molecular dynamics and Monte Carlo techniques. The methods, that allow us to generate trajectories in phase space for sampling distinct statistical ensembles, will be studied. Some techniques which offer the possibility to calculate the free energy will be also discussed and it will be shown how the use of such results can provide a description of the atoms and molecules phase diagrams. At the end of the course, students will develop the ability of a quantitative reasoning and numerical skills useful for studying, modeling and understanding a large class of atomic and molecular systems as well as supramolecular aggregates. In addition, the student will be able to utilize the most common simulation packages which are available for a numerical study of complex systems, such as colloidal and bio-molecular systems, due to the acquired full knowledge of algorithms and numerical techniques on which these programs are built. Particular emphasis will be given to object-oriented and generic programming in the implementation of a computer simulation code. In particular, the modern C++ programming language will be introduced and discussed in the context of atomistic simulations. It will be also illustrated the use of the Python language, through the NumPy and MatPlotLib libraries, to analyze and visualize the data produced by computer simulations. During the course there will be also hands-on lectures, so that students will be able to put into practice the acquired knowledge through the implementation of their own simulation code. Students will be also stimulated to present the results obtained from the simulations, so as to test their ability to communicate clearly and effectively such results. The development of a numerical simulation code will be an opportunity for the students to design and develop their own project. This way they will be able to show their learning level and ability to apply independently the theoretical concepts acquired in the course.
OBJECTIVES
A - Knowledge and understanding
OF 1) Know common techniques to carry out computer simulations
OF 2) Know object oriented programming for scientific computations.
OF 3) Know common methods for analyzing data obtained from computer simulations.
OF 4) Understand data produced by computer simulations.
B - Application skills
OF 5) Ability to implement a simulation code.
OF 6) Ability to exploit simulations to obtain information about the physical properties of investigated systems.
OF 7) Be able to develop computer codes for analyzing data produced by computer simulations.
C - Autonomy of judgment
OF 8) Be able to critically analyze the results of “numerical experiments”.
OF 9) Be able to integrate autonomously the acquired knowledge in order to face new problems that require additional numeric techniques.
OF 10) Be able to identify the best technique to solve and study a physical problem numerically.
D - Communication skills
OF 11) Know how to communicate clearly to specialists and non-specialists, through manuscripts and presentations, the results obtained.
OF 12) Know how to clearly discuss a scientific topic.
OF 13) Know how to reproduce calculations related to a given scientific topic in a critical and informed manner.
E - Ability to learn
OF 14) Have the ability to learn new algorithms and numerical techniques by exploiting the scientific literature.
OF 15) Be able to conceive and develop their own project consisting of writing a simulation code or implementing a numerical technique.
OF 16) Be able to overcome difficulties and setbacks in the implementation of numerical techniques through original ideas and solutions.
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| 10616467 | Computational Solid State Physics [FIS/03] [ENG] | 1st | 1st | 6 |
Educational objectives GENERAL OBJECTIVES:
The aim of the course 'Computational Solid State Physics' is to provide both theoretical and practical understanding with the two main numerical approaches currently in use for the solution of the quantum many body problem in condensed matter physics:
a) Density Functional Theory, which allows to obtain predictions from first principles of electronic states, structural energies, and interatomic forces in molecules and solids;
b) Quantum Monte Carlo methods - variational, diffusion, path-integral – which can be applied to the numerical study of various many-body quantum systems (liquid or solid helium, electron gas, electrons in atoms and molecules).
SPECIFIC OBJECTIVES:
A- Knowledge and Understanding:
OF1: To know and understand the fundamentals of Hartree-Fock (H-F) theory.
OF2: To know and understand the fundamentals of Density Functional Theory (DFT).
OF3: To know and understand the fundamentals of Pseudopotential theory (PPT).
OF4: To know and understand the DFT+PPT theory of crystalline systems.
OF5: To know and understand the variational Monte Carlo (MC) method for identical particles.
OF6: To know and understand the "projection MC" method for identical particles.
OF7: To know and understand the path integral Monte Carlo (PIMC) method.
OF8: To know and understand the "sign problem" for systems of many identical fermions.
B- Application Skills:
OF9: To apply DFT+PPT to simple solid-state systems (using software like Quantum Espresso).
OF10: To apply various quantum Monte Carlo methods to simple systems of many identical bosons or fermions (writing simple C codes and using large pre-existing FORTRAN codes).
C- Autonomy of Judgement:
OF11: To be able to assess, for a real quantum solid or fluid, which theories and algorithms presented in the course are suitable for describing and/or predicting which physical properties.
OF12: To be able to evaluate the feasibility, in terms of memory and CPU time, of a numerical project in molecular or solid-state physics.
D- Communication Skills:
OF13: To be able to present the results of a theoretical-numerical project.
OF14: To be able to write concise reports on the results of a theoretical-numerical project.
Ability to Learn:
OF15: To progress autonomously in C programming skills.
OF16: To progress autonomously in the use of existing software and codes.
OF17: To progress in graphical visualization skills of one's own results.
OF18: To progress in the ability to read reviews and research articles.
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| 10611918 | ADVANCED MACHINE LEARNING FOR PHYSICS [FIS/01] [ENG] | 1st | 2nd | 6 |
Educational objectives GENERAL OBJECTIVES:
Acquire familiarity with advanced deep learning techniques based on differentiable neural network models with supervised, unsupervised and reinforced learning paradigms; acquire skills in modelling complex problems through deep learning techniques, and be able to apply them to different application contexts in the fields of physics and basic and applied scientific research.
Discussed topics include: general machine learning concepts, differentiable neural networks, regularization techniques. Convolutional neural network, neural network for sequence analysis (RNN, LSTM / GRU, Transformers). Advanced learning techniques: transfer learning, domain adaptation, adversarial learning, self-supervised and contrastive learning, model distillation.
Graph Neural Networks (static and dynamic) and application to structured models for physics: dynamic models, simulation of complex fluids, GNN Hamiltonians and Lagrangians. Generative and variational models: variational mean-field theory, expectation maximization, energy based and maximum entropy models (Hopfield networks, Boltzman machines and RBM), AutoEncoders, Variational AutoEncoders, GANs, Autoregressive flow models, invertible networks, generative models based on GNN. Quantum Neural Networks.
SPECIFIC OBJECTIVES:
A - Knowledge and understanding
OF 1) Knowledge of the functioning of neural networks and their mathematical interpretation as universal approximators
OF 2) Understanding of the limits and potential of advanced machine learning models
OF 3) Understanding of the limits and potential of DL in solving physics problems
B - Application skills
OF 4) Design, implementation, commissioning and analysis of deep learning architectures to solve complex problems in physics and scientific research.
C - Autonomy of judgment
OF 5) To be able to evaluate the performance of different architectures, and to evaluate the generalization capacity of the same
D - Communication skills
OF 6) Being able to clearly communicate the formulation of an advanced learning problem and its implementation, its applicability in realistic contexts
OF 7) Being able to motivate and to evaluate the generalization capacity of a DL model
E - Ability to learn
OF 8) Being able to learn alternative and more complex techniques
OF 9) Being able to implement existing techniques in an efficient, robust and reliable manner
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