Welcome to SSIE 641
Welcome to the course! In this class, we will explore the fascinating world of networks—from the social connections that shape our lives to the complex systems that power the internet, biology, and beyond.
The course builds every idea twice: once with your own hands, on paper, and once in code. You do not need any prior network science, and the code you meet starts from basic Python.
What to Expect
- Engaging Lectures: Each week, we’ll dive into key concepts in network science, supported by interactive discussions and in-class activities.
- Hands-on Coding: You’ll work with real network data using Python and modern data science tools. Every module’s code lives in a notebook that runs in your browser — nothing to install to follow along.
- Collaborative Learning: Participate in group activities, discussions, and our dedicated Discord server for Q&A and support.
- Assignments: A Pair Notebook for each of the first six modules — a one-on-one session with an AI tutor, graded on your reasoning rather than your code — plus an in-class group mini-project, a weekly quiz, and a final project.
- Support: The instructor, the course Discord for informal questions, and — inside a Pair Notebook session — your own AI tutor.
How to Get Started
- Read the About page to meet your instructor.
- Join the Discord server for announcements, help, and community.
- Set up your machine — a terminal, git, and two small tools. About twenty minutes, once.
- Read the Pair Notebook guide before your first assignment. It is unlike any assignment you have handed in before, and the walkthrough on that page shows you a whole session in a minute.
- Check How this course works to see what is graded and when.