Physique numérique

The goal of this course is to introduce the main concepts and challenges of quantum computing, a new set of technologies and techniques that promise to solve hard computational problems.

Computational physics plays a central role in all fields of physics, from classical statistical physics, soft matter problems, and hard-condensed matter. Our goal is to cover the basic concepts underlying computer simulations in classical and quantum problems, and connect these ideas to relevant and contemporary research topics in various fields of physics. In the TD’s you will also learn how to set, perform and analyse the results of simple computer simulations by yourself, covering a wide range of topics. We will use Python, but no previous knowledge of this programming language is needed.

Que ce soit pour la modélisation, l’acquisition ou l’analyse de donnée, l’informatique est devenu un outil indispensable pour tout scientifique. L’objectif principal de ce cours est d’apprendre à utiliser les techniques permettant de manipuler les données. 

Many physical phenomena are modeled at a macroscopic level by partial differential equations, in domains as diverse as fluid and solid mechanics,  electromagnetism, general relativity, quantum mechanics or astrophysics. These are mathematical expressions which impose a relation between partial derivatives of one or several multivariable functions. This course is meant as an introduction to numerical methods for the approximation of solutions to partial differential equations.

The development of animals, starting from a single cell to produce a fully formed organism, is a fascinating process. Its study is currently advancing at a rapid pace thanks to combined experimental and theoretical progress, yet many fundamental questions remain to be answered.

This course will address the fundamental theoretical concepts underlying the self-organization of multicellular systems, from gene regulation to the mechanics of active biological materials. The course will be based on various concepts from theoretical physics: dynamical systems, soft and active matter, the mechanics of continuous media, numerical modeling, etc.