We will largely use the book Bayesian Reasoning and Machine Learning by David Barber (Cambridge University Press, 2012), together with additional material as needed. A free online version of the book is available here.

Broadly speaking, the course covers four topics:

  • Probabilistic graphical models
  • Exact inference
  • Learning
  • Approximate inference and learning

Probabilistic graphical models will be treated in more detail than in Barber’s book.

To pass the course you must understand the material on the slides, the tutorials, and the material listed below as “required” (unless marked as not examinable). However, you may understand the content better if you work through the optional material too.

The course material will be added as we progress. It will be similar to last year’s material.

Programme

Week Lecture Tutorial
1 Mon Jan 14 Slides: Required: Optional:
Tue Jan 15 Slides: Required:
  • Barber: Chapter 2, Section 3.1
Fri Jan 18 Slides: Required: Optional:
2 Mon Jan 21 Slides: Required: Optional:
Tue Jan 22 Slides: Required: Optional:
Fri Jan 25 Slides: Required:
  • Barber Section 3.3 (without 3.3.6)
Optional:
3 Mon Jan 28 Slides: Optional: Tutorial 1:
Tue Jan 29 Slides: Required:
  • Barber: Sections 4.1, 4.2 (without 4.2.4)
Optional:
Fri Feb 01 Slides: Required: Optional:
4 Mon Feb 04 Slides: Required: Optional: Tutorial 2:
Tue Feb 05 Slides:
Fri Feb 08 Slides: Required: Optional:
5 Mon Feb 11 Slides: Required:
  • Barber: Section 5.1 till 5.1.2
  • Barber: Section 5.3
Optional:
Tutorial 3:
Tue Feb 12 Slides: Required: Optional:
Fri Feb 15 Slides: Required: Optional:
No class or tutorials the week of Feb 18
6 Mon Feb 25 Slides: Required: Optional: Tutorial 4:
Tue Feb 26 Slides: Required:
Fri Mar 01 Slides: Required:
  • Barber: Section 23.2
7 Mon Mar 04 Slides: Required: Optional:
  • Barber: Sections 8.4.2, 8.8
Tutorial 5:
Tue Mar 05 Slides:
Fri Mar 08 Slides: Required:
  • Barber: Section 8.8
  • Barber: Sections 9.1 to 9.4
Optional:
8 Mon Mar 11 Slides: Required:
  • Barber: Section 21.1 for factor analysis
  • Barber: Section 21.6 for independent component analysis
Optional:
Tutorial 6:
Tue Mar 12 Slides:
Fri Mar 15 Slides:
9 Mon Mar 18 Slides: Optional: Tutorial 7:
Tue Mar 19 Slides:
Fri Mar 22 Slides: Required:
  • Barber: Sections 27.1 - 27.4, Section 27.6 (w/o Sections 27.2.2, 27.6.1, and 27.6.2)
Optional:
10 Mon Mar 25 Slides: Tutorial 8:
Tue Mar 26 Slides: Required:
  • Barber: Sections 11.1 - 11.2.5, 11.6
Optional:
Fri Mar 29 Slides: Required:
  • Barber: 23.3.1
Optional:
  • Barber: 23.5, and remaining parts of 23.3
11 Mon Apr 01 Slides:
Tue Apr 02 Slides: