All discoveries in physics rely heavily on the power of statistical data analysis. The statistical tool box of a modern physicist or astronomer contains much more than mean values, standard deviations, so-called error propagation, and the goodness-of-fit.
This course deals with the essential steps in analysing experimental or observational data. Often a first step is data reduction, for which a statistic is used, e.g. a mean value. The basic concepts in statistics are building on the theory of probabilities and stochastic processes. We will show how to test a physical model, given a set of data, how to estimate the parameters of such a model, and how statistical methods can help us to make informed decisions. We will cover both frequentist (any experiment can be repeated) and Bayes'ian methods (there are irreproducible data sets, e.g. the Universe), and discuss their strength and weaknesses.
The course will be complemented by exercises, which will be blocked and give the participants the change to get hand on experience in the analysis of physical data sets.
Recommended for students of physics from their third year of studies onward. Students of other sciences are welcome, a basic knowledge of the main concepts in physics will be required to appreciate the examples given throughout the course.
F James: Statistical Methods in Experimental Physics, 2nd Edition, World Scientific
JV Wall & CR Jenkins: Practical Statistics for Astronomers, 2nd Edition, Cambridge
Frequency | Weekday | Time | Format / Place | Period |
---|
Module | Course | Requirements | |
---|---|---|---|
28-M-SMTP Spezialisierung Mathematische und Theoretische Physik | Übungen zu Spezialisierungskurs MP-TP (B.1) | Study requirement
|
Student information |
Übungen zu Spezialisierungskurs MP-TP (B.2) | Study requirement
|
Student information | |
28-M-VP Vertiefung | Übungen zu Vertiefung (B.1) | Study requirement
|
Student information |
Übungen zu Vertiefung (B.2) | Study requirement
|
Student information | |
Übungen zu Vertiefung (B.3) | Study requirement
|
Student information | |
Übungen zu Vertiefung (B.4) | Study requirement
|
Student information | |
Übungen zu Vertiefung (B.5) | Study requirement
|
Student information |
The binding module descriptions contain further information, including specifications on the "types of assignments" students need to complete. In cases where a module description mentions more than one kind of assignment, the respective member of the teaching staff will decide which task(s) they assign the students.
A corresponding course offer for this course already exists in the e-learning system. Teaching staff can store materials relating to teaching courses there: