Welcome

Notebooks

Student versions of the notebooks can be found here. For solutions, email jennyf@uow.edu.au.

Note: some of the formatting does not render properly in “View” mode (which also does not allow you to interactively run the code cells). A better option is to download the notebook files and open using Jupyter Notebook, which you can get by installing Anaconda (Python 3 version).

These notebooks are a work in progress and may be updated at any time.

PART 1: PYTHON PROGRAMMING CONCEPTS

Introduction to Python: View | Download
Exercises: View | Download

• Using Python as a fancy calculator
• Communicating with Python in grammar it can understand
• Saving time by saving values for later
• Getting the order right
• Communicating with other humans
• Adding words to the output
• Understanding errors

Arrays and Plots: View | Download
Exercises: View | Download

• Keeping track of many values at once
• Making simple arrays from a list of numbers
• Using arrays to do stuff
• The lazy person’s guide to making arrays
• Help! Get me out of here!
• Plotting variables

Loops: View | Download
Exercises: View | Download

• Doing things over and over… and over… and over…
• for loops
• for loops with arrays: taking values out
• for loops with arrays: putting values in

Logic: View | Download
Exercises: View | Download

• Making comparisons
• Using logic (if)
• On the other hand… (else)
• If not that, how about this? (elif)
• Getting the order right
• Doing more than printing
• Combining logic and loops

Functions: View | Download
Exercises: View | Download

• Functions intro
• Just like functions in maths
• Local variables: hidden from the world
• Saving and using function output
• Functions with arrays
• Returning multiple ouptut values
• Providing multiple input arguments
• Defining default values
• Side Note: Making plots pretty

PART 2: MODELLING CONCEPTS AND APPLICATION

The Bathtub: View | Download
Exercises: View | Download

• Variables
• Solving the equations
• Saving values along the way
• Sensitivity analysis
• Adding labels and legends
• Adding multiple curves to one plot

Daisyworld: View | Download
Exercises: View | Download

• The effect of daisies on surface temperature
• The effect of surface temperature on daisies
• Building a model for Daisyworld
• Testing the sensitivity of the model to different parameters

Population: View | Download
Exercises: View | Download

• Simple exponential growth
• S-shaped growth and carrying capacity
• Overshoot and collapse
• Replenishing resources

Global atmosphere-ocean carbon cycle: View | Download
Exercises: View | Download

• Fluxes and reservoirs
• Comparing to Observations
• The “missing” sink
• Varying Fossil Fuels