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This course now features Coursera Coach!

A smarter way to learn with interactive, real-time conversations that help you test your knowledge, challenge assumptions, and deepen your understanding as you progress through the course.

In this course, you will learn how to create local language models using Ollama and Python. By the end, you will be equipped with the tools to build LLM-based applications for real-world use cases. The course introduces Ollama's powerful features, installation, and setup, followed by a hands-on guide to exploring and utilizing Ollama models through Python. You'll dive into topics such as REST APIs, the Python library for Ollama, and how to customize and interact with models effectively.

You'll begin by setting up your development environment, followed by an introduction to Ollama, its key features, and system requirements. After grasping the fundamentals, you'll start working with Ollama CLI commands and explore the REST API for interacting with models. The course provides practical exercises such as pulling and testing models, customizing them, and using various endpoints for tasks like sentiment analysis and summarization.

The journey continues as you dive into Python integration, using the Ollama Python library to build LLM-based applications. You'll explore advanced features like working with multimodal models, creating custom models, and using the show function to stream chat interactions. Then, you'll develop full-fledged applications, such as a grocery list categorizer and a RAG system, exploring vector stores, embeddings, and more.

This course is ideal for those looking to build advanced LLM applications using Ollama and Python. If you have a background in Python programming and want to create sophisticated language-based applications, this course will help you achieve that goal. Expect a hands-on learning experience with the opportunity to work on several projects using the Ollama framework.

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What's inside

Syllabus

Introduction
In this module, we will introduce the course's objectives, outline the prerequisites needed to succeed, and provide an engaging demo to showcase the tools and concepts that will be used throughout the course.
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Career center

Learners who complete Harnessing Ollama – Create Local LLMs with Python will develop knowledge and skills that may be useful to these careers:

Reading list

We've selected 50 books that we think will supplement your learning. Use these to develop background knowledge, enrich your coursework, and gain a deeper understanding of the topics covered in Harnessing Ollama – Create Local LLMs with Python.
Considered a key book specifically focused on sentiment analysis, this resource offers a comprehensive introduction from an NLP perspective. It covers core areas, including opinion mining, and has been updated to include recent deep learning methods. is valuable for researchers and practitioners and serves as a great introductory and reference book.
Is an excellent starting point for anyone new to Python or programming in general. It covers fundamental programming concepts and Python basics with a hands-on, project-based approach, making it very practical for beginners. The third edition is updated to cover newer Python versions and is widely recommended for its clear explanations and engaging projects. It's often used as an introductory textbook.
Is excellent for gaining a deep, foundational understanding of how LLMs work by guiding you through building one from scratch using Python and PyTorch. It covers the core concepts and is highly valuable for solidifying understanding, serving as a strong prerequisite for working with tools like Ollama. This book practical guide rather than a theoretical reference. It is well-regarded in the field and is suitable for those with intermediate Python and some machine learning knowledge.
Focusing on the LangChain framework, this book is highly relevant for building applications with LLMs, a key theme in the provided course names. It covers practical aspects of using LLMs and frameworks like LangChain, which are often used in conjunction with local LLMs served by Ollama. is valuable for hands-on application development.
This widely-referenced and highly recommended textbook that provides a comprehensive introduction to the field of NLP, with dedicated sections relevant to sentiment analysis. It is suitable for undergraduate and graduate students and serves as a foundational text covering fundamental algorithms and applications.
This handbook provides a practical guide to designing and developing RESTful APIs, covering topics such as resource modeling, versioning, and security.
This revised edition focuses specifically on using the Hugging Face Transformers library, which is widely used for state-of-the-art NLP models, including those for sentiment analysis. It highly practical book for implementing modern sentiment analysis techniques.
Ideal for beginners who want to quickly apply Python to practical tasks. focuses on using Python to automate everyday computer tasks, such as working with files, web scraping, and sending emails. It assumes no prior programming experience and is highly regarded for its clear, step-by-step instructions and focus on immediate productivity gains. The second edition widely used and practical resource.
RAG key technique for enhancing LLM performance by incorporating external knowledge, and vector databases are essential for implementing RAG. provides a practical guide to RAG and vector databases, which are highly relevant to building more advanced and context-aware applications with Ollama and LangChain.
Covers a range of topics directly relevant to the course names, including pretrained LLMs, vector databases, RAG, and agentic systems, all with a focus on Python. It provides a comprehensive guide for developers looking to build generative AI applications, making it highly suitable for those using Ollama.
Focuses on sentiment analysis specifically within the context of social networks, addressing the unique challenges of analyzing large-scale, noisy, and dynamic text data from platforms like Twitter and Facebook. It explores both semantic and machine learning approaches and provides insights into opinion spamming and social network analysis.
Given the increasing importance of transformers and pre-trained models like BERT in modern NLP, including sentiment analysis, this book is highly relevant for understanding these contemporary techniques. It provides a practical guide to building NLP applications using these architectures.
Aimed at developers new to LangChain, this book provides a step-by-step guide to building AI applications with the framework. It's an excellent resource for those looking to utilize LangChain with Ollama for application development.
Provides a comprehensive overview of summarization techniques, including both manual and automatic methods. It great resource for learners who want to improve their summarization skills.
Provides a systematic approach to designing RESTful APIs, covering topics such as resource representation, request and response semantics, and error handling.
Provides a hands-on approach to building applications with LLMs, including the creation of intelligent agents. It covers practical aspects and frameworks like LangChain, which are directly applicable to developing applications that utilize local LLMs via Ollama.
Provides a broad overview of generative AI, including how LLMs function, their applications, and their societal impact. It's a great starting point for anyone new to the field, offering accessible explanations without requiring deep technical expertise. It helps provide context for the capabilities and implications of technologies like Ollama and the applications built with it.
Focuses on AI-based sentiment analysis methods, providing detailed technical coverage and real-world case studies. It aids in developing practical AI-based sentiment analysis systems and includes concepts, technical explanations, and applications.
Given the course names mentioning AI agents, this book is highly relevant. It focuses on building intelligent agents powered by LLMs, covering frameworks and techniques for creating autonomous systems. This aligns with the advanced applications of LLMs that can be explored using Ollama.
Provides a comprehensive overview of RESTful web services, covering the core concepts, design principles, and best practices for creating scalable and maintainable APIs.
Offers a comprehensive overview of LLMs, covering their theoretical foundations, practical applications, and future directions.
Is highly recommended for intermediate to advanced Python programmers looking to write more idiomatic and efficient code. It explores Python's often-overlooked features and best practices, delving into topics like data structures, the Python data model, and metaprogramming. It's a valuable resource for deepening understanding and is considered a must-read for those aiming for mastery.
Specifically focused on building AI agents with Python, this book aligns well with the AI agent theme in the course names. It likely covers frameworks and techniques that can be used in conjunction with Ollama to create intelligent and autonomous applications.
Focuses on the practical application of NLP in real-world scenarios, including use cases relevant to sentiment analysis. It covers the NLP pipeline and how it is used in various sectors, providing valuable context for how sentiment analysis is applied beyond theoretical concepts.
Provides a practical introduction to machine learning using Python and the scikit-learn library. It's ideal for Python programmers interested in entering the field of machine learning and data science. It covers essential concepts and provides hands-on examples.
Prompt engineering crucial skill for effectively using LLMs. focuses on the principles and techniques for designing prompts to get reliable outputs from generative AI models. This is directly applicable to interacting with and getting the best results from LLMs run locally with Ollama.
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Offers a practical approach to text analysis using Python libraries, relevant for implementing sentiment analysis systems. It focuses on applying machine learning to text data and building data products.
Known for its highly visual approach, this book offers a comprehensive introduction to LLMs, covering their architecture, training, and applications. It's a practical guide that helps solidify understanding through clear explanations and examples. It serves as a good resource for understanding the underlying concepts of the models that Ollama can run.
Discusses the engineering challenges and practices involved in building AI applications with foundation models, including LLMs. It provides valuable insights into the practical aspects of developing and deploying LLM-powered systems, which is relevant for professionals working with Ollama in a production context.
Offers a practical guide to using various LLMs, including strategies and best practices. It's suitable for those looking to quickly get up to speed on leveraging LLMs for different tasks, providing immediately applicable knowledge for working with models accessible through platforms like Ollama.
Offers a collection of tips and tricks to help intermediate Python developers write more professional and Pythonic code. It provides concise explanations and practical examples of various Python features, making it a useful resource for leveling up coding skills and discovering best practices.
Explores the principles of RESTful web services from a pragmatic perspective, focusing on real-world considerations and best practices.
Provides a practical, hands-on introduction to NLP using the NLTK library in Python. While not solely focused on sentiment analysis, it covers essential text processing techniques and concepts that are fundamental for building sentiment analysis systems. It is an excellent resource for beginners wanting to apply NLP methods.
Focuses on building practical NLP applications using Python and popular libraries. It includes creating a sentiment analyzer as one of its examples, making it directly relevant for those who want to implement sentiment analysis systems.
This guide provides a collection of best practices, development workflows, and recommendations for writing idiomatic Python code. It's a valuable resource for developers who want to follow community conventions and improve their overall Python development process.
A collection of recipes for common Python programming tasks. is an excellent reference for experienced Python developers looking for practical solutions to a wide range of problems. It covers various domains and provides idiomatic Python code examples.
Provides a comprehensive overview of the use of vector databases in social media applications, such as social network analysis, sentiment analysis, and recommender systems. It includes several case studies that demonstrate how vector databases can be used to improve social media outcomes.
Provides a comprehensive overview of embedding methods for natural language processing, covering both theoretical foundations and practical applications.
This cookbook provides a collection of recipes for common tasks and challenges encountered in RESTful web services development.
Focuses on building RESTful APIs using Spring Boot, a popular Java framework for rapid application development.
Is written by Eric S. Raymond, a well-known open source software developer. It explores the principles and practices of function calling in a clear and concise way.
This comprehensive handbook includes a chapter on LLMs, providing a thorough overview of their history, evolution, and applications.
This classic textbook provides a strong theoretical foundation in statistical methods for NLP. While published some time ago, many of the core concepts are still relevant for understanding the statistical underpinnings of sentiment analysis techniques. It is more valuable as a foundational reference than for contemporary methods.

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