Python for HPC Workshop

Python for HPC

Start: Dec 3, 2025 09:00 AM (Local Time Germany)
End: Dec 4, 2025 01:00 PM
Speaker: Members of the MPCDF Application group
Location: online via Zoom
Host: MPCDF
Contact: training@mpcdf.mpg.de

The Python programming language and its software ecosystem have become indispensable in scientific computing for various reasons. Users not only implement prototypes for numerical experiments on small scale, but also develop parallel production codes, thereby partly replacing compiled languages such as C, C++, and Fortran. However, when following this approach it is crucial to pay special attention to performance.

This course teaches approaches to use Python efficiently in a HPC environment. The first lecture gives an introduction to the topic and to parallel programming. In the following, the lectures strongly focus on performance-related topics such as NumPy, Scipy, Numba, JAX, and other JIT approaches, compiled C- and Fortran extensions, profiling of Python and compiled code, GPU acceleration, parallelism using multiprocessing and mpi4py, parallel frameworks such as Dask, and efficient IO with HDF5. In addition, topics related to software-engineering such as packaging, publishing, testing, and the semi-automated generation of documentation are covered.

The lectures take place online via Zoom on two consecutive days from 9am to 1pm. They are given based on Jupyter notebooks and include many reusable code examples. For each topic, hands-on exercises are available. Backup material is provided, covering special topics such as Cython and basic visualization. There will be time for a general question & answer session towards the end.

Please register at

https://plan.events.mpg.de/e/mpcdf-python-for-hpc-2025

where further details, including the schedule, are available.