Aim of the School:
The School is aimed at postgraduate students in the fields of physics, chemistry, mathematics, applied mathematics, biology, bioinformatics, computer science, engineering with an interest in both theoretical and computational science. In particular, the School aims at bridging the gap between theoretical studies and High Performance Computing.
The School will start with a Basic Scientific Programming Course to introduce students to Linux (Ubuntu) Command line and bash scripting and the Python programming language. This will be followed by introductions to Foundations of Theoretical and Computational Science on topics such as:
- Mathematics.
- Atmospheric Science.
- Quantitative Biology.
- Statistics.
- Quantitative Finance.
and advanced online tutorials and workshops to put the theoretical material into practice. The School is structured in such a way to encourage students to actively solve challenging problems that the lectures will pose. Students should be prepared to learn on their own!
School Syllabus:
The School syllabus will cover the following:
Introduction to Linux. The first two days will consist of Linux training. It will cover a basic introduction to Linux command line, bash scripting, and Introduction to PBS Pro and job submission at CHPC (Mr Binjamin Barsch, Centre for High Performance Computing, CSIR).
Python will be discussed from day three to the end of the school.
Introduction to Python Programming for Data Science: It will cover the basics of python and syntax, advanced functions and using Matplotlib with python, and the use of advanced mathematical packages such as Numpy and Scipy (Mr Binjamin Barsch, Centre for High-Performance Computing, CSIR).
Other topics covered related to:
- A Python-based Introduction to Mathematical Proofs: Prof Zurab Janelidze (SU).
- Earth Systems Modelling & Climate Change Modelling: Dr Mary-Jane Bopape (South African Weather Service).
- Machine learning for Bioacoustics: Dr Emmanuel Dufourq (SU/AIMS).
- Introduction to Statistics using R: Prof Freedom Gumedze (UCT).
- Introduction to Quantitative Finance: (TBA).
Application and Registration:
The CHPC and NITheCS call for all talented students registered for Honours, Masters, PhD, including postdoc in South Africa to submit their applications. The registration fee is free for all successful Applicants. As public-funded institutions, the CHPC and NITheCS support the transformation of South Africa and thus the School organizers highly encourage students from previously disadvantaged backgrounds to submit their applications. There will be no scholarship for successful applicants as the school will be hosted on a virtual platform. However, a background of scientific programming skills and basic Linux will be an advantage.
Important dates:
School start: 30 January 2023
Closing date for scholarship applications: 23h59 Saturday, 31 December 2022
Notification of Successful Candidates: will be notified by 21 January 2023
School end: 10 February 2023
School Organizing Committee:
Prof Francesco Petruccione (UKZN & NITheCS)
Binjamin Barsch (CSIR, NICIS-CHPC)
Prof Zurab Janelidze (SU)
