MATH 403

Probability and Statistics for Engineers

News

Notes

On Correlation: xkcd

On Poisson Distributions: xkcd

Error in book: Figure 11.5 the steeper line should be a + bx, not α + βx.

General Information

• Fall 2009 Meets: MWF 12:00-12:50 in Ritter 200.
• Instructor: Dr. Bryan Clair
• Syllabus: syllabus.pdf
• Textbook: Walpole, Myers, Myers, Ye, Probability and Statistics for Engineers and Scientists (8ed).
• Policies:
• Technology:
  • MYSTAT download page.
  • TI-89 "Stats/List Editor" for the FlashApps menu: Download from TI website.

Homework Assignments

1. Due Wednesday, Sep. 2
   (PDF version)
   Ch 1 # 1, 5, 11 (do by hand), 13, 18abc, 19*, 22*, 25, 27.
   Ch 2 # 5, 9, 15, 51, 53, 67, 73.
   Problems A,B on the handout.
   * For #19, do parts a and c only, then describe the shape of the distribution and discuss what that says about the failure of pumps.
   * For #22, draw the location of mean and the spread of +/-1 SD on your histogram.
2. Due Wednesday, Sep. 9
   (PDF version)
   Ch 2 # 25, 30, 31, 41, 49, 77, 79, 80, 93
   Problems A, B on the handout.
3. Due Wednesday, Sep. 16
   (PDF version)
   Ch 3 # 1, 3, 7*, 9*, 17*, 19*, 25, 27*, 29*, 31*, 71 plus Problems A,B,C on the handout.
   * For these problems, sketch the PDF and CDF (if you found it), and shade any areas under the PDF which correspond to probabilities you're supposed to calculate.
4. Due Wednesday, Sep. 23
   (PDF version)
   Ch 3 # 43, 47, 51, 60, 65
   Ch 4 # 1, 5, 7, 13, 17, 23, 29
   Plus Problems A,B,C,D on the handout.
5. Due Monday, Sep. 28
   (PDF version)
   Ch 4 # 33, 35, 45
   Plus Problems A,B,C,D,E on the handout.
6. Due Wednesday, Oct. 7
   (PDF version)
   Ch 4 # 58, 64, 69, 89
   Plus Problems A,B on the handout.
7. Due Wednesday, Oct. 14
   (PDF version)
   Ch 6 # 1, 3, 5, 7, 9, 13, 17
   Ch 5 # 7, 16, 25, 27
   Ch 6 # 24, 27, 30, 33, 37
   Plus Problems A-E on the handout.
8. Due Friday, Oct. 23
   (PDF version - Uncorrected! See changes below.)
   Ch 5 # 53, 59, 70, 71, 73, 77
   Plus Problems A and B on the handout.
9. Due Monday, Nov. 2
   (PDF version)
   Ch 8 # 1, 21*, 23*, 25*, 26*, 27*, 35*, 46, 47, 49
   * For these problems, also sketch the sampling distribution and shade or mark the relevant areas or points.
   Ch 9 # 1, 7, 9, 11, 13, 15
   Plus Problems A,B,C,D on the handout.
10. Due Wednesday, Nov. 11
    (PDF version)
    Ch 9 # 53, 55, 57, 60, 62, 63
    Plus Problems A,B,C on the handout.
11. Due Wednesday, Nov. 18
    (PDF version)
    Ch 10 # 1, 3, 19, 21, 25*, 29, 55*, 57*, 59*
    * Clearly state your hypothesis test for these
    Plus Problems A,B,C on the handout.
12. Due Monday, Nov. 23
    (PDF version - Note Ch 16 material cancelled)
    Ch 10 # 35*, 40*, 41*, 43*, 45*, 53*
    * Clearly state your hypothesis test for these
    
13. Due Friday, Dec. 4
    (PDF version)
    Ch 11 # 3, 7, 13, 31, 49, 63a, 68
    Plus Problems A-D on the handout.

Data

• michelson.txt: Michelson's 1879 and 1882 measurements of the speed of light, given as amounts over 299000km/s.
  (Source: The Data and Story Library).
• gosset_corn.txt: Gosset's 1908 data on the results of seeding pairs of plots with regular and kiln-dried seeds. (Source: The Data and Story Library).
• balance.txt: Aging and balance.
  (Source: The Data and Story Library).
• faithful.txt: Minutes between eruptions of old faithful, before and after earthquake in 1985.
  (Source: The Data and Story Library).
• Planet facts. Basic information about the solar system.
• pearson_father_son.xls: Heights of fathers and sons. Source: Pearson (~1900).
• leaning-pisa.xls: Lean (in 1/10 mm in excess of 2.9 meters) of the Tower of Pisa, 1975-1987.
• xenon-133.txt: Radioactivity of Xenon-133 over time (in days). (Source: J. Nuc. Med. Tech, 1990 via BCIT).
• draft_70.xls: Draft order for birthdates, 1970 Vietnam draft.
  (Source: The Data and Story Library, see also Selective Service History Site).
• cedars_inTNNC.xls: Diameter and age of Cedars in Tennessee and North Carolina.