MATH 3342 (Lindquist), Fall 2021
Mathematical Statistics for Engineers & Scientists

Basic Information

• Class Time: TTh 11:00-12:20 in Math 106.
• Course instructor: Prof. W. Brent Lindquist
  Office: Rm. 104, Mathematics & Statistics Building
  E-mail: brent.lindquist@ttu.edu
  Phone: 834-2348
• Office Hours: TBD, or by appointment.

Text Book

• Required: Probability and Statistics for Engineering and the Sciences (9'th edition) by Jay L. Devore
  Published by Cengage Learning, ISBN: 978-1-305-25180-9.
• Suggested: Student Solutions Manual by Matt Carlton
  Published by Cengage Learning, ISBN: 978-01-305-26059-7
  Contains detailed solutions to the odd numbered problems.

Prerequisite

Syllabus

The specific syllabus with approximate timeline is as follows: redo classes by 2/3

• Chapter 1 (1.1-1.4): Descriptive statistics (3 classes)
• Chapter 2 (2.1-2.5): Probability (4 classes)
• Chapter 3 (3.1-3.6): Discrete random variables and probability distributions (4 classes)
• Chapter 4 (4.1-4.6): Continuous random variables and probability distributions (4 classes)
• Chapter 5 (5.3-5.5): Sampling distributions and the Central Limit Theorem (1 classes)
• Chapter 6 (6.1): Point estimation (1 classes)
• Chapter 7 (7.1-7.3): One-sample confidence intervals for means and proportions (3 classes)
• Chapter 8 (8.1-8.5): One-sample hypothesis tests for means and proportions (4 classes)
• Chapter 9 (9.1-9.4): Two-sample inference for means and proportions (3 classes)

Expected Learning Outcomes

• Understand the need to be wary of statistical claims, common pitfalls in sampling, and misrepresentation of conclusions.
• Understand the meanings of various statistical measures, including the mean, median, mode, standard deviation, variance, and quartiles.
• Become familiar with various graphical representations of data, and learn to recognize misleading graphs.
• Develop proficiency in real-world probability problems.
• Understand the concept of a probability distribution and real-world problems involving various distributions, including binomial, normal, hypergeometric, and Poisson distributions.
• Understand and apply the Central Limit Theorem.
• Compute and interpret confidence intervals.
• Conduct and interpret hypothesis tests.

Methods of Assessing the Expected Learning Outcomes

• A: 90-100%
• B: 80-89%
• C: 70-79%
• D: 60-69%
• F: 0-59%

• Test 1: After completion of Chapters 1 & 2 (~Sep 26). (Hwks 1 & 2 are due the midnight before.)
• Test 2: After completion of Chapters 3 & 4 (~Oct 26). (Hwks 3 & 4 are due the midnight before.)
• Test 3: After completion of Chapters 5, 6 & 7 (~Nov 16). (Hwks 5-6 & 7 are due the midnight before.)
• Final Exam: 7:30 - 10:00 AM (sorry!) Friday Dec 3. (Hwks 8 & 9 are due the midnight before.)

Homework Problem Sets

• Randomized questions:
  Most questions are randomized for each individual student.
• Saving work/submitting answers:
  • Be sure to click on "Save Answer" each time you complete a question. You can then log out and return later to continue the assignment.
  • Click on "Submit Answer" only when you finish the whole question, which will then be graded.
  • You can also choose to "Save Assignment" and "Submit Assignment" at the bottom.
  • You may submit each question part, a maximum of 3 times. The highest score of these 3 submissions will be recorded. (Alternatively, you can also submit each entire question, or entire assignment 3 times.) The system may give you helpful hints/links for incorrect questions, in order to help you get it right on the next submission.
• Open Ended questions:
  Some questions are open-ended and ask you to write/draw something. These cannot be checked very carefully by the automatic grading system, and thus almost anything you write/draw will be acceptable. Make an honest attempt at these questions since you will see them again in the tests, which are graded carefully.
• Numerical accuracy:
  • Some questions are very specific in asking for the answer correct to a certain number of decimal places. Be sure not to round intermediate answers; round only when you get to the final answer.
  • Unless otherwise specified, give answers correct to 4 decimal places. This should be a sufficient default accuracy for all questions.
  • Some questions accept a range of accuracy. For example, the calculation of a p-value is very precise, but the system should flag as being correct any answer that you correctly interpolate with tables. For instance, if the exact p-value is 0.078, but you can only deduce from the tables that it falls somewhere between 0.05 and 0.10, then any value in this range should be marked as correct.
• Communications tool:
  The Communications tool is disabled; do not attempt to communicate with me through the WebAssign system.
• Deadlines/Course pacing:
  • You are advised to complete each assignment within a week after we finish the corresponding chapter in class. Each assignment number corresponds exactly to the chapter number.
  • You will not be able to work on sets past the due date (visible in WebAssign).
  • It is important to keep up with the pace of the course, which on average will require you to complete a homework assignment about every other week.

Instructions on Accessing WebAssign

• Class Key: ttu 4606 9274.
• It is very important that you provide a genuine e-mail address, such as your @ttu.edu, upon registering (otherwise username & password retrieval will be impossible).

Policies

• Class Attendance. Your attendance in class will not impact your grade, but missing exams and assignments will. Whether an eaxm or assignment absence is excused or unexcused is determined solely by me, with the exception of absences due to religious observance and officially approved trips (see below).


• Make-up Exams: May be granted in exceptional circumstances if you provide me with a valid excuse (such as a note from a physician, an obituary, etc.).


• Absence for observance of a religious holy day (TTU Operating Policy 34.19):
  1. "Religious holy day" means a holy day observed by a religion whose places of worship are exempt from property taxation under Texas Tax Code 11.20.
  2. A student who intends to observe a religious holy day should make that intention known to the instructor prior to the absence. A student who is absent from classes for the observance of a religious holy day shall be allowed to take an examination or complete an assignment scheduled for that day within a reasonable time after the absence.
  3. A student who is excused under Section 2 may not be penalized for the absence; however, the instructor may respond appropriately if the student fails to complete the assignment satisfactorily.
  
  
• Absence due to officially approved trips: The Texas Tech University Catalog states that the department chairpersons, directors, or others responsible for a student representing the university on officially approved trips should notify the student's instructors of the departure and return schedules in advance of the trip. The instructor so notified must not penalize the student, although the student is responsible for material missed. Students absent because of university business must be given the same privileges as other students.


• Illness and Death Notification. The Center for Campus Life is responsible for notifying the campus community of student illnesses, immediate family deaths and/or student death. Generally, in cases of student illness or immediate family deaths, the notification to the appropriate campus community members occur when a student is absent from class for four (4) consecutive days with appropriate verification. It is always the student's responsibility for missed class assignments and/or course work during their absence. The student is encouraged to contact the faculty member immediately regarding the absences and to provide verification afterwards. The notification from the Center for Campus Life does not excuse a student from class, assignments, and/or any other course requirements. The notification is provided as a courtesy.


• ADA accommodations (TTU Operating Policy 34.22). Any student who, because of a disability, may require some special arrangements in order to meet course requirements should contact the instructor as soon as possible to make any necessary arrangements. Students should present appropriate verification from Student Disability Services during the instructor's office hours. Please note instructors are not allowed to provide classroom accommodations to student until appropriate verification from Student Disability Services has been provided. For additional information, you may contact the Student Disability Services office at 335 West Hall or 806-742-2405.


• Cells phone. Cell phones disrupt class. Please mute or turn these off in class. If you must use yours, leave the classroom.


• Academic Honesty (TTU Operating Policy 34.12). It is the aim of the faculty of Texas Tech University to foster a spirit of complete honesty and high standard of integrity. The attempt of students to present as their own any work not honestly performed is regarded by the faculty and administration as a most serious offense and renders the offenders liable to serious consequences, possibly suspension. "Scholastic dishonesty" includes, but it not limited to, cheating, plagiarism, collusion, falsifying academic records, misrepresenting facts, and any act designed to give unfair academic advantage to the student (such as, but not limited to, submission of essentially the same written assignment for two courses without the prior permission of the instructor) or the attempt to commit such an act.


• Electronic Devices in Tests. Scientific calculators are capable of performing many of the long and laborious calculations for almost all of the course. These are permitted, and are in fact necessary. However, you should not rely on your calculator to automatically "spit-out" answers to the more complex questions. The reason for this is that many substantive statistical procedures have slight variations, and tend to be course-specific. So, although your calculator may be able to calculate the quartiles of a sample of data for you, its method may not exactly agree with the one in the book. Greater deviations may occur in confidence intervals and hypothesis tests. Some test questions may be of partial-credit nature, requiring you show intermediate steps in obtaining the answer. If you simply write the final answer, you will only get a small proportion of the points, even if your answer is correct. Finally, use of any kind of communication-capable device (e.g., smart phone, tablet, laptop) on a test or exam is forbidden.


• Collaboration.
  • Homeworks: Discussion with peers regarding material/concepts covered in the course is permitted and encouraged, since it usually leads to greater comprehension. However, each person must write up their own solution to every problem, and not simply copy or have someone else do it for them.
  • Tests: Any form of collaboration on tests, including e-device communication or trying to see what the person next to you is writing, is strictly forbidden and will not be tolerated.

Statistical Computing