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Inverse Theory II: Applications
Last Updated: 2026-02-05 15:41:16
Abstract
This second part of the course on Inverse Theory provides an introduction to the numerical solution of large-scale inverse problems. Specific examples are drawn from different areas of geophysics and image processing. Students solve various model problems using python and jupyter notebooks, and familiarize themselves with relevant open-source libraries and commercial software.
Objective
This course provides numerical tools and recipes to solve (non)-linear inverse problems arising in nearly all fields of science and engineering. After successful completion of the class, the students will have a thorough understanding of suitable solution algorithms, common challenges and possible mitigations to infer parameters that govern large-scale physical systems from sparse data measurements. Prerequisites for this course are (i) 651-4096-00L Inverse Theory: Basics, (ii) basic programming skills.
Content
The class discusses several important concepts to solve (non)-linear inverse problems and demonstrates how to apply them to real-world data applications. All sessions are split into a lecture part in the first half, followed by tutorials using python and jupyter notebooks in the second. The range of covered topics include: 1. Regularization filters and image deblurring 2. Travel-time tomography 3. Line-search methods 4. Time reversal and Born’s approximation 5. Adjoint methods 6. Full-waveform inversion
Resources
Lecture Notes
Presentation slides and some background material will be provided.
General Information
- Language
- English
- Levels
- BSC , MSC
- Frequency
- Yearly recurring
Examination
- Type
- graded semester performance
Course Components
| Type | Title | Time & Place | Hours |
|---|---|---|---|
| lecture with exercise | Inverse Theory II: Applications |
|
28 h semesterly |
Offered In
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Geophysics (Recommended combinations: Subject 1 + Subject 2 Subject 1 + Subject 3 Subject 2 + Subject 3 Subject 3 + Subject 4 Subject 5 + Subject 6 + Subject 8 Subject 4 + Subject 5 Subject 7 + Subject 8)
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Geophysics (Recommended combinations: Subject 2 + Subject 5 + Subject 6 + Subject 7 Subject 2 + Subject 4 + Subject 5 + Subject 6 + Subject 8 Subject 2 + Subject 5 + Subject 6 + (Subject 1 or Subject 3))
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Electives (Courses can be chosen from the complete offerings of the ETH Zurich and University of Zurich (according to prior agreement with the MSc Committee).)
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