1. PH2150 Scientific Computing Skills
Aims and Objectives:
Python:
Basic understanding of the syntax of Python
Plot and analyse experimental data
Gain insight into some topics from 1st and 2nd year courses
Preparation for final year project
A walk through

2. PH2150 Scientific Computing Skills
Course Structure:
Post Exam introduction week
The first 4 weeks covering the basics of Python,
Variables types, operators, I/O
Loop structures, Functions
Modules, plotting
Fitting data, errors

3. PH2150 Scientific Computing Skills
Course Structure:
Remaining 6 weeks:
Writing a scientific report in Latex.
Exercises related to your other Physics courses:
These problems come from G Sordi(QM), S Gibson (Optics), C Lusher(EM), G Cowan (Maths)

4. PH2150 Scientific Computing Skills
Course Structure:
Every week there will be an exercise sheet that will be submitted via Turnitin at the end of the week. These will be marked in class at the beginning of the following week.
These marks (plus an extended exercise at the end) will form the assessment of the course.
They should start gently and build up to more complex problems as you become more proficient in Python.

5. PH2150 Scientific Computing Skills
Why Python?
More detail in this question in the moodle notes, but the essence is that:
rapid development time
open source (free to have at home)
its easy to do easy things and possible to do really complicated things.
growing user base in academia and industry.

6. PH2150 Scientific Computing Skills
Who is using Python?

7. PH2150 Scientific Computing Skills

8. PH2150 Scientific Computing Skills
Which Python?
There are two variants 2.x and 3.x (not back compatible), however all the scientific libraries that exist in 2.x so that’s what we will use.
Specifically Python contained within Canopy.

9. PH2150 Scientific Computing Skills
Canopy, Enthought Python Distribution
Python requires two parts:
Development Environment, where you edit code
Interpreter, Python shell, where the computer runs the code.
These can be integrated into single environment such as in Canopy

10. PH2150 Scientific Computing Skills
Development Environment, text editor
Generic text editor with support for code editing, by selecting Python from the language menu, the script will be colour coded #comments in green etc
Syntax errors such as missing brackets are highlighted

11. PH2150 Scientific Computing Skills
Interpreter, Python shell

12. PH2150 Scientific Computing Skills

13. PH2150 Scientific Computing Skills

14. PH2150 Scientific Computing Skills
Introduction Course Notes
Notes on packages NumPy and SciPy
Problem sheets 1-3 with accompanying material
During the course this material will be moved to moodle

15. PH2150 Scientific Computing Skills