MATH 367: Discrete Probability

Spring 1998

  • Syllabus
  • Exams' Schedule

  • SYLLABUS
    Bibliography: A first course in probability,
    third ed., by Sheldon Ross.
    Office: ES 128A -- phone: 442--4641.

    This course is a first course in Probabilities. We will learn about counting techniques, probabilities and discrete random variables. We will also learn a bit of continuous random variables, specially the Normal Distribution, to later study limits of distribution. That is, we will cover most of chapters 1 -- 8.

    My classes are participation intensive, meaning that you will be required to come up to the blackboard frequently to explain your assigned homework. This is a very time consuming class because of the material and because I will make you work a lot.

    I encourage you to get an account on any computer where you wil have access to MINITAB, for example, an account on the vax machine will do. We will not use this till the end of the course but if you get the account now, you will be able to consult with me via e--mail.

    The class will be graded as follows:

    There will also be projects to be handed in, whose grade will affect your final grade as follows: a good performance in project will raise you final grade, say from B to B$+$, an average performance will not affect your grade, and a poor performance will lower your final grade, say from B to B$-$.

    As you see, class participation is an important portion of your final grade. You will be assigned problems regularly. Ideally, 5 students will come up to the blackboard per day. This will allow for enough participation for each of you.

    The schedule for the course is as follows:
    Jan 23: Quiz 1
    Jan 30: Quiz 2
    Feb 6: Quiz 3
    Feb 9: Exam I: Ch. 1 & 2
    Feb 13: Quiz 4
    Feb 20: Quiz 5
    Feb 27: Quiz 6
    Mar 6: Exam II: Ch. 3 & 4
    Mar 13: Quiz 7
    Mar 27: Quiz 8
    Apr 3: Quiz 9
    Apr 8: Exam III: Ch. 5 & 6
    Apr 17: Quiz 10
    Apr 24: Quiz 11
    May 1: Quiz 12
    May 6: Exam IV: Ch. 7 & 8

    My goals for this course are that you learn the basics of probability, that you develop good communication skill and that you get used at acquiring concepts and abstract ideas. I will later study the results of the methods I used during the class to evaluate how effective they were in your learning. For this purpose I need your permission to use your work in this evaluations. Whether or not you give me your permission, will not affect your grade one way or the other. But it will help me evaluate my teaching performance.