Math 243: Introduction to Methods of Probability and Statistics

Homework Assignments and Topics for the class

Lecture Notes for the class

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DISCUSSION SECTIONS
The emphasis of the course is on statistical reasoning: interpretation of and critical thinking about statistical information. The main concepts will be illustrated by a variety of interesting and important real world examples. These will include issues under current discussion in society that have a statistical component, in particular clinical trials, political polling, and various studies in the social sciences.

Grading Policy

Your course grade is a weighted average of the following performance scores: homework (10%), quizzes (15%), exam 1 (20%), exam 2 (25%) and final exam (30%).

Exams

There will be two midterms during the term. They are scheduled for Friday, October 30, and for Friday, November 20. The final is scheduled for 8:00 - 10:00 on Wednesday, Dec 9. All the exams will be in Fenton 110. For each exam, you may bring one "cheat sheet," i.e., one 8.5 by 11 sheet of paper with whatever formulas and notes you would find useful.

Quizzes

There will be six or seven open-book quizzes in discussion sections. There will be no make-up quizzes. With a good reason, you may make arrangements with Mark to take a quiz in a different discussion section than the one you normally attend. You should see Mark in advance and obtain his permission. Your lowest quiz grade will be dropped.

Homework

There will be a homework assignment for essentially every class period, but it will be collected WEEKLY during discussion sections. The two lowest scores will be thrown out and only the top eight will count towards your home work grade. No homework will be accepted late.

Calculators

At the minimum, you should have a calculator capable of handling two-variable statistics. The TI-82 will draw histograms and regression lines for you and will be more than sufficient. The TI-83 is like having a small computer program at your desk and will perform all the statistical tests that we will learn in this course. It is your responsibility to learn how to use any calculator you choose for this course. Calculators are allowed on all quizzes and exams. Texas Instruments' manuals on the Web: TI-82 , TI-83 .

Videos

There's an excellent set of videos, Against All Odds, available at Media Services in the Library. The 26 half-hour programs of this public television series present some fascinating real-world applications of statistics while at the same time focusing on the essential features of statistics. Suggested videos are indicated with the assignments. They have to be watched at the Media center, and you will need an ID to check them out. The Media center is open 8:00 a.m. - 10:00 p.m. Mondays through Thursdays, and 8:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m. on Fridays.
Tips: There's only one copy of each video, but groups of students can watch a video at once. Two students can watch a single monitor. Between 3 and 8 can watch in a small room. Larger rooms are available for larger groups, but arrangements must be made in advance and would probably need my intervention. As noted below, there are two videos on each cassette. If you want to view the second video, FastForward for 45-50 seconds before pressing Play. Be considerate of the next viewers: Rewind the cassette. When you check out the video, if you sign a waiver other students can join you.

1-2 What is statistics?/Picturing distribution
3-4 Describing distributions/Normal distributi ons
5-6 Normal calculations/Time series
7-8 Models for growth/Describing relationships
9-10 Correlation/Multidimensional data analysis
11-12 Question of causation/Experimental design
13-14 Blocking and sampling/Samples and surveys
15-16 What is probability?/Random variables
17-18 Binomial distributions/Sample means
19-20 Confidence intervals/Significance tests
21-22 Inference for one mean/Comparing two means
23-24 Inference for proportions/Inference for two proportions
25-26 Inference for relationships/Case study

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