Neural Networks for Data Science
Master's Degree in Data Science (2026-2027)
Important Info
| News: register on Google Classroom for course news and updates. | |
| Timetable: TBD |
News
- Registration on Google Classroom is open.
General overview
The course provides a general overview on neural networks as compositions of differentiable blocks, that are optimized numerically. We describe common building blocks including convolutions, self-attention, batch normalization, etc., with a focus on images, texts, and graphs. The course combines rigorous mathematical descriptions with coding sessions in PyTorch / JAX, as well as an overview of the current AI landscape.
Material
Lab sessions are in blue. Homeworks and projects (mandatory) are in red. Seminars (optional) are in green.
| Â | Date | Content | Material |
|---|---|---|---|
| L0 | TBD | About the course | TBD |
Book: Alice’s Adventures in a Differentiable Wonderland

The course is complemented by a book which expands on most topics covered during the lectures:
- Buy the book on Amazon (independently published to keep the price low).
- Downloaded the updated full draft (29/08/2025).
For the full book webpage (with arXiv version, errata list, and additional chapters): https://sscardapane.it/alice-book/