Department of Computer Sciences
University of Texas at Austin

CS 378 - Geometry of Space - FRI (Fall 2021)
Section: 53030, TTH 5:00 PM - 6:30 PM, RLP 1.106

Instructor: Dr. Shyamal Mitra
Office Hours: By Appointment
Location: Zoom on Canvas
E-mail: mitra@cs.utexas.edu
Do not send mail on Canvas.

Scope of the Course

This is a two semester research sequence. In the first semester (spring 2021) we covered the foundational knowledge that you will need in astronomy, programming, and data science. You have been given reading assignments in machine learning and computational geometry over the summer. In the second semester (fall 2021) you will formulate the research problem, do a review of the literature of the field that you are interested in, then design a research plan and execute that plan. The end goal will be a paper that you will present in class.

Research Goal

In this research stream, we will begin to understand the large-scale structure of the universe through a study of the distribution of galaxies and clusters of galaxies using algorithms developed in computational geometry and applying techniques in data analytics. The galaxy data will be obtained from the Hobby Eberly Telescope Dark Energy Experiment (HETDEX), the Sloan Digital Sky Survey (SDSS), and the NASA Extragalactic Database (NED).

We will use computational geometry to obtain the size and center of clusters of galaxies and data analytics to determine member galaxies and outliers. We will compute the velocity dispersion of the clusters and their mass-to-light ratio. Specifically, one of the questions that we will try to answer is - are there interconnections between clusters and are the clusters themselves clustered to form superclusters? We will provide 3-dimensional maps of the distribution of galaxies.

Research Methodology

For your project you will be working with a partner. During the first month we will survey various research problems. We will do exploratory work on these problems. These short computational assignments will have multiple due dates. By the end of the first month, you and your partner will have selected a research project and then finish a literature survey of the field.

During the second month, you will gather the data, do a preliminary assessment and visualization of the data. At the end of the month you will write a summary of your findings.

You will complete most of the computations and write a preliminary report of your results by the end of the third month.

During the last week of this course you will present your computations to the class and solicit feedback from your classmates. Think of the presentation as a mini-defence of your thesis.

You will incorporate the changes suggested during the presentation and submit the final paper in the Astrophysical Journal (ApJ) format.

There will not be any formal lectures this semester. The class time will be used for discussion and consultation.

Meetings

There will be two modalities for this course. We can meet in person or online. We will give you at least one week's notice when we go from virtual to in-person or vice versa.

When we meet online the lectures and office hours will be on Zoom on Canvas. When we meet in-person we will be meeting in the classrooms listed above.

For online meetings, be sure that you have Zoom 5.4 or higher and Duo. Login to Zoom using your ut_eid@eid.utexas.edu. The lectures will be recorded. These recordings are confidential and are only for educational purposes. The recordings must not be shared in any form. Any dissemination of the recordings is a violation of the University policies and will be subject to Student Misconduct proceedings through the Office of Student Conduct and Academic Integrity. The office hours will not be recorded.

Grades

Your grade for this course will be based on the following components:
  1. Journal Entry (10%): You will keep a journal to chronicle what you did during the week. The journal entries are due every Sunday evening.
  2. Paper I (20%): Project proposal and literature survey. Due on Wed, 22 Sep 2021.
  3. Paper II (20%): Description and assessment of the data collected. Due on Wed, 20 Oct 2021.
  4. Paper III (20%): Preliminary computations and results. Due on Wed, 17 Nov 2021.
  5. Presentation (10%): 20 minute discussion of computations and results with the class during the period 30 Nov to 6 Dec 2021.
  6. Paper IV (20%): Revised final paper due on the final exam day.

All scores will be entered on Canvas. Check your scores regularly on Canvas to make sure that we have entered them correctly. Remember the average score as shown on Canvas is not correct. It does not weight the average with weights as shown above. Your final grade will be assigned after we obtain the weighted average according to the weights as given above. Your grade will be based on the traditional scheme:

We do assign grades on the +/- system. But those finer cutoffs will be determined at the very end after the weighted average and standard deviation of the class are computed.

Study Groups

We would like to promote a collaborative learning environment in this class and not a competitive one. We want to share our knowledge and help each other learn. Since we are not meeting in person we will be meeting virtually and building a community of active learners working on similar research projects. The atmosphere that we want to establish is one of mutual respect.

We will be using Piazza for general discussion of class related questions rather than the discussion board on Canvas. We expect your posts to be professional and courteous to every member in the class.

Your Responsibilities in This Class

University Time Table

General Policies

If you are absent from class for the observance of a religious holy day you may turn in your assignment or paper on an alternate date provided you have given me written notice fourteen days prior to the class absence. For religious holy days that fall within the first two weeks of class notice must be given on the first class day.

Students with disabilities who need special accommodations should contact the Services for Students with Disabilities (SSD) Office (471-6259 or 471-4641 TTY).