Università Roma Tre

The scientific method. Physical quantities and their dimensions. Units of measurement systems. Measuring instruments and their characteristics. Characteristics of a measure. Sensitivity errors and their propagation. Related errors. Systematic errors. Random errors. Frequency histograms. Charts. Significant figures and order of magnitude. Type A errors and type B errors. Elements of statistics. The concept of probability and the properties of probabilities. Discrete and continuous distribution functions: the concept of expected value and variance; the moments of the distribution functions and the moment generating function. The main functions of discrete distribution: binomial and Poisson. The main functions of continuous distribution: uniform, of Gauss, of t of Student, of c2, normal bivariate. The central limit theorem. The distribution of random errors and their propagation. The function of distribution of the variance of the mean and the significant figures in the statistical error. Student t distribution applications. Confidence interval and statistical errors. Applications of the distribution of c2. The criterion of maximum likelihood. The least squares method. The correlation sample coefficient. Linear fit: predictions and confidence intervals for the parameters of the lines, interpolations and extrapolations. Linear fit in the case where both variables are affected by error.

a) Contents: Representation and coding of information. Hardware: architecture and components of the personal computer (PC). System software (operating system) and application software. Software structure: algorithms, programming languages, spreadsheets. Scientific calculation and data processing. The delocalized architecture: the computer networks (internet). Use of the "network" and practical security rules. Network searches (databases). b) Cultural competences Knowledge of · Basic notions of PC architecture. · Basic notions of programming and calculation. · Elaboration of experimental data and presentation of scientific results. · Correct use (security and privacy) of the "internet" network c) Methodological skills How to perform · Use of the PC in the windows environment for the calculation and processing of scientific data · Define and implement an algorithm for solving problems related to calculation and data processing. · Use the PC for the analysis and statistical processing of experimental data.