On 28 – 29 August, the first seminar “The use of new methods for processing data of physical experiment. Application of machine learning methods at the NICA Complex” is taking place in the Mendeleev Congress Hall of Saint Petersburg University (SPbU). The Joint Institute for Nuclear Research and Saint Petersburg State University organized the event.

Modern physical experiments, especially in fundamental research at large facilities, provide an increasing amount of data and require more computer power to process the obtained results. Therefore, specialists start using new methods for working with data more frequently, including those based on machine learning methods (MLM), in modern experiments.

“The idea of such a meeting to discuss new methods for processing experimental data occurred during one of the recent meetings of the MPD collaboration in Dubna. Recently, different groups of physicists have been increasingly using machine methods in their work. We decided to join efforts in this direction within the framework of the NICA Project to begin with,” – Alexey Aparin, one of the organizers of the seminar, a senior researcher at VBLHEP JINR, commented.

Participants of the event are going to discuss various aspects of the experiment. In addition to the actual data processing, they will consider ways to optimise the configuration of different detector systems and the application of MLM to carry out fast simulations of detector systems. Moreover, they will touch upon technical issues arising during the creation of quantum computers. An important part of the discussion will be dedicated to the use of distributed and grid technologies in the analysis of experimental data at the Large Hadron Collider.

More than 60 specialists, postgraduates, students from leading Russian institutes, interested in the application of new methods for obtaining and processing data of megascience physical experiments, are taking part in the event.

“The seminar is mainly aimed at young specialists, students, postgraduates, and young scientists who are looking forward to the start of the data collection during experiments at the NICA Complex. Most of them have already joined some of the experiments at CERN, JINR or other scientific centres. They have already convinced of the necessity of using new methods in their work, since modern experiments operate with increasingly large amounts of data, which are often simply impossible to process using classical ways,” said Alexey Aparin. The seminar will allow different teams to get acquainted with each other’s work and exchange experience.

Fedor Ratnikov from HSE University and Gennady Ososkov from MLIT JINR delivered their review lectures on mathematical principles of the machine methods approach on the first day of the event.

Alexey Aparin said that it was decided to hold the first seminar of this kind among Russian organizations. Colleagues from many institutes, including MIPT, NRNU MEPhI, HSE, SPbU, SPbPU, and others, responded to the invitation to participate. In the future, the organizers expect that the seminar will become regular and will reach the international level.