Welcome

Welcome to Applied Soft Computing

Welcome to the course! In this class, we will explore how deep learning serves as a powerful tool to operationalize high-dimensional data from social and physical systems. You’ll learn to model complex system dynamics using modern computational intelligence, and in turn, use perspectives from complexity science to understand the emergent behaviors of large-scale models.

This course is designed to provide you with both a theoretical foundation and hands-on experience in applied soft computing. You will learn how to apply representation learning, sequence modeling, and graph analytics to model real-world complex systems using Python and modern deep learning frameworks.

Course Modules

This course is divided into three chapters: Foundation, Deep Learning and Advanced Topics.

Foundation chapter covers the foundational concepts of data visualization, data science, and reproducibility. This will prepare you for building your own data science projects with modern deep learning tools.

The Deep Learning chapter covers the fundamental concepts of deep learning for text, images, and graphs. Through hands-on coding, you will learn how to build your own deep learning models for different data types.

The Advanced Topics chapter elevates you from a user to a creator of advanced soft computing models. You will learn how to build your own large language models and self-supervised learning models.

What to Expect

  • Engaging Lectures: Each week, we’ll dive into key concepts in deep learning and complex systems, supported by interactive discussions and in-class activities.
  • Hands-on Coding: You’ll work with real data from text, images, and networks using Python and modern deep learning tools.
  • Collaborative Learning: Participate in group activities, discussions, and our dedicated Discord server for Q&A and support.
  • Projects and Assignments: Apply your knowledge through coding assignments, quizzes, and a final project.
  • Support: Get help from the instructor, TA, and our AI tutor.

How to Get Started

  1. Why applied soft computing? Read the Overview page to understand the importance of applied soft computing.
  2. Read the About Us page to meet your instructor, TA, and AI tutor.
  3. Join the Discord server for announcements, help, and community.
  4. Set up your Python environment by following the Setup Guide.
  5. Learn how to submit assignments using GitHub Classroom.