INFORMATION FOR MATH 4753-002
Applied Statistical Methods
Fall 2009
(Last updated on 17 August 2009)
Text: Statistics for Engineering and the Sciences (5th ed), by W. Mendenhall and T. Sincich, Prentice Hall, 2007, ISBN 0-13-187706-2. The course will cover the major portions of Chapters 2-8 and 10.
Syllabus and course objectives: This course is intended to be an introduction to statistics for students who have had at least two semesters of calculus (either engineering calculus MATH 1823/2423 or business calculus MATH 1743/2123, or their equivalents). Most of the course's emphasis will be on the methods and practice of statistics. However, in order to foster a deeper understanding of the material, we will include outlines of the mathematical derivations of some of the more important methods that we will cover. In terms of specific topics, the course will include the following: descriptive statistics, rapid introduction to the theory of probability (sample spaces, random variables, conditional probability, counting principles), discrete random variables and their distributions, expected value and variance of a discrete RV, the binomial distribution,continuous random variables and their distributions, expected value and variance of a continuous RV, the uniform and normal distributions, bivariate probability distributions (independence, covariance, and correlation), sampling distributions, the normal, chi-square, Student-t, and F distributions, point estimation, confidence intervals, hypothesis testing, single-sample inferences of the mean for small and large samples, inferences of the variance, basics of inference for two-sample problems, inferences on proportions, simple linear regression and least-squares estimators, coefficients of correlation and determination.
Prerequisites: MATH 2123 or MATH 2423. It will be assumed that students have sufficient proficiency in calculus to be able to compute derivatives and elementary integrals in routine fashion. In particular, all students must be fully comfortable with the rules of differentiation (especially the product and chain rules) and the techniques of integration by substitution and integration by parts.
Grading: Your grade will be determined by your performance on the following course work:
Some Grading Policies:
A 90-100%; B 80-89%; C 70-79%; D 60-69%; F 0-59%.
Attendance: You are required to attend class on those days when an examination is being given; attendance during other class periods is also strongly encouraged. Be advised that you are fully responsible for the material covered in each class, whether or not you attend. Make-ups for missed exams will be given only if there is a compelling reason for the absence , which I know about beforehand and can document independently of your testimony (for example, via a note or phone call from a doctor, parent, or clergyman).
Homework: Homework assignments will be posted on the homework and exam information page well in advance of any specified due date and will consist of two designated types: hand-in and practice.
Solutions to all homework assignments will be posted on our course's accompanying D2L web site shortly after the assignment's due date. Since hand-in assignments will only be graded in a cursory fashion, I expect that you will carefully review your assignments after they have been graded and consult the solutions to ensure that you properly understand the material.
Note #1: You should view the assigned homework problems as the bare minimum number of problems required to attain some level of mastery of the material. Most students will need to work additional problems to achieve full mastery of the material.
Note #2: I deem it acceptable for students to work in groups and/or with a tutor as they make their preliminary efforts to explore and work through homework problems. However, after any such preliminary and cooperative efforts, I expect each student to write up his/her final homework papers individually and without outside assistance. The acts of simply copying another student's homework paper, or writing a problem solution as dictated by a tutor or other helper, constitutes academic misconduct and will be prosecuted according to the University's Academic Misconduct Code (see below).
Technology: In order to aid in computations, you should have a scientific calculator which has built-in statistical functions (for example the TI-84 or the HP-48, though other calculators may also be appropriate). A scientific calculator is a must for the in-class exams. I also recommend that you have access to a PC-based statistics program for doing more substantial computations that may arise on homework problems. My preferred statistical software is the Microsoft Excel spreadsheet, but others such as SAS, SPSS, and MINITAB will also work well (however, be forewarned that your instructor is not fluent in these other packages; if you use them, then you are more or less on your own). It is not necessary to purchase any software for this course since Microsoft Excel, SAS, and other statistical packages are available on many of the University's lab PCs (such as in the College of Arts and Sciences computer labs in the Physical Sciences Center and in Dale Hall Tower). Some of the textbook's exercises have associated data sets provided by the publisher. These exercises are marked by a round ``CD'' symbol, and are available in various formats (such as EXCEL, Minitab, SAS). A copy of these data sets is available here (this is a ``zipped'' file, which you may have to unzip manually).
Some Important Dates :
Policy on W/I Grades : Through Friday, October 2, you can withdraw from the course with an automatic W. In addition, it is my policy to give any student a W grade, regardless of his/her performance in the course, through the extended drop period that ends on Friday, October 30. However, after October 30, you can only drop via petition to the Dean of your college. Such petitions are not often granted. Furthermore, even if the petition is granted, I will give you a grade of "Withdrawn Failing" if you are indeed failing at the time of your petition. Thus it is in your own best interest to drop the course on or before October 30 if you think there is a reasonable chance that you will not want to see the course through to the end.
The grade of I (Incomplete) is not intended to serve as a benign substitute for the grade of F. I only give the I grade if a student has completed the majority of the work in the course (for example everything except the final exam), the coursework cannot be completed because of compelling and verifiable problem beyond the student's control, and the student expresses a clear intention of making up the missed work as soon as possible. Note also that the Department of Mathematics requires that instructors and students execute and sign a written Incomplete Contract before a grade of Incomplete can be given.
Academic Misconduct: All cases of suspected academic misconduct will be referred to the Dean of the College of Arts and Sciences for prosecution under the University's Academic Misconduct Code. The penalties can be quite severe. Don't do it! For more details on the University's policies concerning academic misconduct click here . For information on your rights to appeal charges of academic misconduct click here . Students are also bound by the provisions of the OU Student Code, which can be found here .
Students With Disabilities: The University of Oklahoma is committed to providing reasonable accommodation for all students with disabilities. Students with disabilities who require accommodations in this course are requested to speak with the instructor as early in the semester as possible. Students with disabilities must be registered with the Office of Disability Services prior to receiving accommodations in this course. The Office of Disability Services is located in Goddard Health Center, Suite 166: phone 405-325-3852 or TDD (only) 405-325-4173.