Terascale Statistics School 2026

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

Seminarraum 4a/b (DESY Hamburg)

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))

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

 

 

 

2026-02-Statistics_School-Poster.pdf

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))