Terascale Statistics School 2026

Name: Terascale Statistics School 2026
Start: 2026-02-23T00:30:00+01:00
End: 2026-02-27T14:00:00+01:00
Location: DESY Hamburg

23 Feb 2026, 00:30 → 27 Feb 2026, 14:00 Europe/Berlin

Seminarraum 4a/b (DESY Hamburg)

Seminarraum 4a/b

DESY Hamburg

Geb. 1

Andreas Hinzmann (DESY (Deutsches Elektronen Synchrotron)), Dirk Kruecker (CMS (CMS Fachgruppe Searches)), Isabell Melzer-Pellmann (Deutsches Elektronen-Synchrotron DESY), Olaf Behnke (CMS (CMS Fachgruppe TOP))

Description

DESY Terascale Statistics School

The next edition of the DESY Terascale Statistics School will provide an introduction to key statistical methods used in particle-physics data analysis. The school is aimed primarily at PhD students working on LHC or other HEP experiments, but is also open to interested Master’s students and post-doctoral researchers. Registration is open worldwide; participants do not need to be based in Germany.

Core topics:

Basics
Hypothesis testing
Parameter estimation
Confidence intervals
Systematic uncertainties
Machine learning
Unfolding

Invited lecturers (confirmed so far):

Roger Barlow
Glen Cowan
Stephen Jiggins
Lydia Brenner

The program will consist mainly of lectures, supplemented by Python-based hands-on exercises. Technical details will be shared ahead of time.

Tentative session scheme:

Fee: 100 Euro (includes conference dinner and coffee breaks)

Accommodation: Please book the DESY Hostel independently (limited availability).

Note: Participants should bring their own laptops for the hands-on sessions.

Organizing Committee:
I. Henning, A. Hinzmann, D. Kruecker, I. Melzer-Pellmann, O. Behnke

Terascale School Support

anacen@desy.de

Registration

Registration Form - Registration is open worldwide; participants do not need to be based in Germany.

Participants

37 View full list

Monday 23 February
- 1
  
  Registration
- 2
  
  Opening (Welcome)
  
  Speakers: Andreas Hinzmann (CMS (CMS Fachgruppe Searches)), Olaf Behnke (CMS (CMS Fachgruppe TOP))
- :: Afternoon Session
  - 3
    
    Basics: Probabilities, fundamental distributions, Central Limit Theorem etc. (Lecture)
    
    Speaker: Roger Barlow (Huddersfield)
  - 15:30
    
    Coffee Break
  - 4
    
    Hypothesis Testing - Intro (Lecture + Tutorial)
    
    Speaker: Glen Cowan (RHUL)
Tuesday 24 February
- :: Morning session
  - 5
    
    Parameter Estimation (Lecture)
    
    Speaker: Roger Barlow (Huddersfield)
  - 10:30
    
    Coffee Break
  - 6
    
    Parameter Estimation (Tutorial)
    
    Speaker: Glen Cowan (RHUL)
- 12:30
  
  Lunch Break
- :: Afternoon session
  - 7
    
    Hypothesis Testing - Limit Setting (Lecture + Tutorial)
    
    Speaker: Glen Cowan (RHUL)
  - 15:30
    
    Coffee break
  - 8
    
    Hypothesis Testing - Limit Setting (Lecture + Tutorial)
    
    Speaker: Glen Cowan (RHUL)
Wednesday 25 February
- :: Morning Session
  - 9
    
    Bayesian Parameter Estimation (Lecture + Tutorial)
    
    Speaker: Glen Cowan (RHUL)
  - 10:30
    
    Coffee Break
  - 10
    
    Systematic Uncertainties (Lecture)
    
    Speaker: Roger Barlow (Huddersfield)
- 12:30
  
  Lunch Break
- :: Afternoon Session
  - 11
    
    Errors on Errors (Lecture + Tutorial)
    
    Speaker: Glen Cowan (RHUL)
  - 15:30
    
    Coffee Break
  - 12
    
    To be decided end of January: Either overflow session for Glen Cowan's Tutorials or first lecture slot on Machine Learning, by Stephen Jiggins
    
    Speaker: Glen Cowan (RHUL)
- 18:30
  
  School Dinner
Thursday 26 February
- :: Morning Session
  - 13
    
    Machine Learning I (Lecture + Tutorial)
    
    Speaker: Stephen Jiggins (ATLAS (ATLAS-Experiment))
  - 10:30
    
    Coffee Break
  - 14
    
    Machine Learning II (Lecture + Tutorial)
    
    Speaker: Stephen Jiggins (ATLAS (ATLAS-Experiment))
- 12:30
  
  Lunch Break
- :: Afternoon Session
  - 15
    
    Unfolding I (Lecture + Tutorial)
    
    Speakers: Lydia Brenner (DESY), Lydia Brenner (Nikhef)
  - 15:30
    
    Coffee Break
  - 16
    
    Unfolding II (Lecture + Tutorial)
    
    Speakers: Lydia Brenner (DESY), Lydia Brenner (Nikhef)
Friday 27 February
- :: Morning Session and closing
  - 17
    
    Machine Learning III (Lecture + Tutorial)
    
    Speaker: Stephen Jiggins (ATLAS (ATLAS-Experiment))
  - 10:30
    
    Coffee Break
  - 18
    
    Machine Learning IV (Lecture + Turorial)
    
    Speaker: Stephen Jiggins (ATLAS (ATLAS-Experiment))
  - 19
    
    Closing of the School
    
    Speakers: Andreas Hinzmann (CMS (CMS Fachgruppe Searches)), Olaf Behnke (CMS (CMS Fachgruppe TOP))