Class and subject schedule

Check this page regularly, for the overview of subjects may be updated during the course.

The preliminary table below lists:

The literature referred to can be found on the literature page, which also includes (a.o.): Material between [..]-brackets is only touched upon briefly and not part of the course assessment.

The scheduled times and locations for the lectures and exams can be found in MyTimetable. Since the lecturers cannot directly update MyTimetable, deviations from the official schedule will be indicated in the schedule below, which is always most up-to-date.

Week 1 (36)


Wed, Sept 4

NO CLASS: Master introduction


Fri, Sept 6

Double slot (two lectures); make sure to attend! Next week, you will have to work on your own, so make sure you know what is expected, otherwise you will already fall behind.

Subjects: Course introduction, Probability theory,Independence relations and Graphical models

Literature (from Syllabus): Ch. 1, Ch. 2, Ch. 3: § 3.1, [3.2.1]

Exercises (from Syllabus): 1.1, 1.2, 2.1 - 2.6, 3.1, [3.2, 3.3], 3.4

Assignments (on Blackboard): Already start working on the Practical assignments! (Can't find a partner? Try Blackboard's discussion forum.)

Week 2 (37)

NO CLASS:
SELF-STUDY(!!)

Mon, Sept 10 -- Fri, Sept 13

Based upon the Sept. 6 classes, you can (and should!) spend this week on the following:

  • Review the literature from the Sept. 6 classes, possibly with the help of these videos: 🎦 Ch2, 🎦 Ch3.1
  • Do the exercises from the Sept. 6 class (Starred (*) exercises come with answers or solutions (in Syllabus Chapter 8)). Need help?: contact your fellow students on the Blackboard discussion forum or ask your lecturer at the next class.
  • Find an assignment partner and enroll in a group on Blackboard
  • Work on Assignment A: A1 - A5; prepare A11, A12
  • Ch. 3: § [3.2.1] is optional material that may be helpful to read or 🎦 watch prior to next week's class.
  • Have you already started reading the literature for next week? Then with Ch. 3: § 3.2.2 you're all set to also do Assignment A, A6 - A10 and complete the assignment.

Week 3 (38)

Wed, Sept 18

Double slot (two lectures)! If you have questions about Ch.2, Ch. 3: § 3.1 or Assignment A please ask them during today's classes.

Preparation: read literature in advance

Subjects: Graphical models, Introduction to inference

Literature: Ch. 3: § 3.2.2, 3.2.3, Ch. 4: § 4.1

Exercises: 3.7 - 3.14, 4.1, 4.2, 4.8

Assignments: wrap up Assignment A and start on B (all except B4 can already be answered)

Fri, Sept 20

Preparation: read Ch. § 4.2.1 including notation block

Subject: Inference in singly connected graphs (SCGs) and trees

Literature: Ch. 4: § 4.2.1, § 4.2.2

Exercises: 4.3 - 4.7

Directly after class: 🎦review proofs for computation rules and try Exercises 4.4a and 4.5a. It is really important to train yourself with these exercises!

Week 4 (39)

Wed, Sept 25

Deadline Assignment A (directly after class)

Preparation: read § 4.2.3

Subject: Examples in SCGs; intro to inference in multiply connected graphs (MCGs)

Literature: Ch. 4: § 4.2.1, § 4.2.2, § 4.2.3

Exercises: 4.9, 4.10, 4.13

Afterwards: really train yourself with the exercises!

[Optional: additional slides for those interested in Junction Tree propagation]

Fri, Sept 27

Preparation: read § 4.2.3

Subject: Loop cutsets

Literature: Ch. 4: § 4.2.3

Exercises: 4.11, 4.12, 4.14

Assignments: you have now seen enough to complete Assignment B

Week 5 (40)


Wed, Oct 2

Preparation: read literature below in advance. To understand the relation between BNs and the Bayesian approach used in the PP part, also consider these slides.

Subject: Probabilistic programming, part I (Bayesian data analysis and continuous models)

Literature: BDA3-Ch1 up to and including § 1.7

Assignments: start preparing Assignment C; we assume that you are able to set up all software on your favorite OS

Fri, Oct 4

Deadline Assignment B (directly after class)

Preparation: read literature in advance

Subject: Probabilistic programming, part II (inference in continuous models)

Literature: RR04 up to and including § 3.2 (skim the rest)

Week 6 (41)

Wed, Oct 9

Preparation: have Stan up and running to benefit most from today (also see preparation for Friday)

Subject: Probabilistic programming, part III (Workflow and practical session)

Literature: Same as above

Fri, Oct 11

Double slot! First a lecture, then a Stan practical

Preparation for lecture: read §5.1, §5.2.1

Subject: Graph construction

Literature: Ch. 5:  §5.1,  §5.2.1 and § 5.2.2

Exercises: 5.1-5.3, 5.4a


Preparation for Stan practical: Make sure you have all software necessary for Assignment C up and running, otherwise this session will be rather useless!

  • See the Stan documentation
  • Getting started with RStan; for this you will need to install RStan
  • If you like to use Stan from Python, try CmdStanPy
  • 🎦watch the following videos from the playlist of this Stan tutorial: 1 or 2 (depending on your choice for R or Python), and 3--7
  • Note that Stan supports every C++ compiler except for the Windows MSVC one (which doesn't adhere to conventions). Windows users therefore need to use a different C++ compiler such as mingw. Alternatively: use Linux or OSX.

Subject: Practical session probabilistic programming for Assignment C

Week 7 (42)


Wed, Oct 16

Preparation: read the literature

Subject: construction cntd

Literature: Ch. 5: § 5.2.2 and § 5.3.1

Exercises: 5.4b, 5.7, 5.8

Fri, Oct 18

Preparation:read the literature

Subject: Probability elicitation; Noisy-or gate

Literature: Ch. 5: § 5.3.1, 5.3.2, 5.3.3

Exercises: 5.4cd, 5.9, 5.11

Week 8 (43)

Wed, Oct 23

Double slot, starting at 1pm! First coaching, then a lecture.

Preparation for coaching/ Q&A: prepare all your remaining questions about assignment C


Preparation for lecture: read the literature

Subject: Probability elicitation methods, Sensitivity Analysis

Literature: Ch. 5: § 5.3.3 and § 5.3.4, Ch. 6: § 6.1.1

Exercises: 5.5, 5.6, 5.10, 6.1a-d, 6.2ab, 6.7

Fri, Oct 25

Preparation: read Ch. 6: § 6.1.2

Subject: Sensitivity Analysis cntd

Literature: Ch. 6: 6.1.2, § 6.1.3

Exercises: 6.1ef, 6.2cde, 6.3-6.6

Week 9 (44)

Wed, Oct 30

Deadline Assignment C (directly after class)

Subject: Evaluation; BNs as problem-solving architectures

Literature: Ch 6: § 6.2, 6.3

Exercises: 6.8

Fri, Nov 1

Preparation: prepare your final questions

Subject: Explanation; wrap-up; Q & A session

Literature: Ch 6: § 6.4; Ch. 7

[Optional: Jordy van Leersum's short explanation demo]

Week 10 (45)

Wed/Fri Nov 6/8 (check MyTimetable!)

Written test ('Tentamen')

January 2025

(check MyTimetable!)

Substitute test / retake ('Tentamen: aanvullende toets')
Substitute tests / retakes for the masters' courses will (probably) be scheduled in week 3, in the late afternoon/evening. Once scheduled, exams will appear in MyTimetable; this is also the source of information for the lecturers.)