Sally Sievers. Office: Macmillan 102.
Phone: 364-3210 (office), 607-257-7641 (home).
Email: sievers@wells.edu Website aurora.wells.edu/~srs/Math300-Sp02
Office hours: Find me, I’m yours, usually. I am on campus MWF. I teach at 10:30 and at 11:30. I never (hardly ever) leave till 3:30. Often I am here till 4:45. If out of my office, I am usually in one of the computer labs or math prof’s offices, or will leave a note on my door. Best is to let me know you want to see me and when (i.e. make an appointment).
Text: The Probability Tutoring Book, by Carol Ash (Wiley, and IEEE press)
We will also refer to Moore & McCabe, Introduction to the Practice of Statistics again, and there may be outside readings.
Focus: We will be oriented toward probability, expanding on the concepts in Moore & McCabe’s chapters 4 and 5, using more mathematics, and heading toward the Central Limit Theorem. Some things will be familiar. What will be new is the use of the calculus to deal with continuous distributions, and some effort to prove things as opposed to accepting plausibility. (This is a 300 level course…) We will want a little multivariable calculus (Math 211) but I'll go over what we need. This book does not assume any prerequisite probability and statistics, so if you didn't do part I the book won't know. If time permits (unlikely!) we may go back to inferential statistics, from Moore & McCabe or other sources.
Homework and grading: All the problems have pretty complete solutions in the back. (One of the reasons I chose the book.) To make progress in the course, you should work hard on a problem before looking at the solution; then make sure you understand the solution.
I encourage you to write out complete solutions, even when the answers are there. Remember that mathematics is just a shorthand for English, so clear exposition is part of clear thinking--write so another person can read and understand it. I encourage you to work on homework together, and if you do you’ll automatically be building that in.
Mary Moskowitz will be our able assistant and HW checker. I'll throw in a few problems without answers from time to time. Mary will of course check these more carefully. Mark "Help" on problems you have trouble getting, and visit her freely. Also I expect questions in class.
Exams etc:
In-class closed book quizzes on definitions,
formulas, etc.
One or more take-home midterms, open book.
Final exam, take-home. Probably due Wed. after
noon May 15; later by negotiation.
Final 25%, midterm(s) and quizzes 50-60%, homework and in-class 15-25%.