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Department of Mathematics

Monte Carlo Simulations (L7) (865G1)

Monte Carlo Simulations (L7)

Module 865G1

Module details for 2024/25.

15 credits

FHEQ Level 7 (Masters)

Library

Main recommendation: Neil Madras, Lectures on Monte Carlo Methods, American Mathematical Society, 2002. Supplementary texts: Torsten Hothorn, Brian S. Everitt, A Handbook of Statistical Analyses Using R, Chapman and Hall/CRC, 2009. Luc Devroye, Non-Uniform Random Variate Generation, Springer, 1986. John G. Kemeny, G. Laurie Snell, Finite Markov Chains, Springer, 1976. Julia Yeomans, Statistical Mechanics of Phase Transitions, Oxford, 1992. Historical readings: Nicholas Metropolis, The beginning of the Monte Carlo method, Los Alamos Science (Special Issue dedicated to Stanislaw Ulam), 125¿130, 1987. Nicholas Metropolis, Arianna W. Rosenbluth, Marshall N. Rosenbluth, Augusta H. Teller, Edward Teller, Equation of State Calculations by Fast Computing Machines, Journal of Chemical Physics 21, 1087, 1953 Nicholas Metropolis, Stanislaw Ulam, The Monte Carlo Method, Journal of the American Statistical Association (American Statistical Association) 44, 335¿341, 1949.

Module Outline

The main aim of the module is to teach how to write Monte Carlo computer programs for the generation of random numbers, the calculation of integrals and for the analysis of systems. The module will include:
• Introduction to R
• Pseudo-random number generation
• Generation of random variates
• Variance reduction
• Markov-chain Monte Carlo and its foundations
• How to analyse Monte Carlo simulations
• Application to physics: The Ising model
• Application to statistics: Goodness-of-fit tests

Module learning outcomes

Demonstrate comprehensive knowledge of Monte Carlo methods.

Systematically design and create programs for uniform and non-uniform random deviates.

systematically investigate problems by using Markov-chain Monte Carlo simulations.

Critically and comprehensively evaluate the output of Markov-chain Monte Carlo simulations.

TypeTimingWeighting
Coursework8.00%
Coursework components. Weighted as shown below.
PortfolioT2 Week 11 100.00%
Dissertation (5000 words)Semester 2 Assessment Week 1 Fri 16:0092.00%
Timing

Submission deadlines may vary for different types of assignment/groups of students.

Weighting

Coursework components (if listed) total 100% of the overall coursework weighting value.

TermMethodDurationWeek pattern
Spring SemesterLecture2 hours11111111111
Spring SemesterPractical1 hour11111111111

How to read the week pattern

The numbers indicate the weeks of the term and how many events take place each week.

Dr Marianna Cerasuolo

Convenor, Assess convenor
/profiles/612334

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