STT 441: Probability and Statistics 1: Probability Spring Semester 2012

Times and Rooms: Section 1: M-W-F, 12.40 1.30 PM in C307 Wells Hall Section 2: M-W-F, 3.00 3.50 PM in C112 Wells Hall Anita Behme Office: A444 Wells Hall Phone Number: 353-7201 Email: abehme @ stt.msu.edu Office hours: M-W-F 11.00 AM - 12.00 PM and by appointment A first course in Probability, 8th Edition, by Sheldon M. Ross You can get it for free as eTextbook if you sign up at www.kno.com with your msu.edu email.

Instructor:

Textbook:

Needed background: This course builds on a foundation of multivariate calculus, and students without this background will not succeed. Successful completion of MTH 234 or the equivalent, or current enrollment in MTH 234 or the equivalent, provide the required background. Without this background you should not enroll in STT 441. Webpage: Please go on http://www.stt.msu.edu/Academics/ClassPages and check under STT441, Section 1 for all information on STT 441.

Course Outline: This course covers an introduction to basic probability models. Included topics are discrete, continuous, univariate and multivariate distributions; random variables, normal approximation, sampling distributions and some limit theorems. The underlying materials will be taken from the book, chapters 1 8. Important Dates: Mon, January 9 Fri, January 13 Mon, January 16 Fri, February 3 Wed, February 29 March 5-9 Fri, April 27

Classes begin; late enrollment fee begins Close of add period Martin Luther King Day (No Classes) Last Day for 100% Refund Middle of the Semester; last day to drop with no grade Spring Break Last Day of Classes Continue on back

Grades: The final grade will be based on homework, some pop quizzes, a mid-term exam and the final exam as follows: 15% Homework 20% Quizzes 25% Mid-term exam 40% Final exam The mid-term will take place on Wednesday, February 29, and it will be written during class. The final exams have been scheduled for Thursday, May 3, 10.00 AM 12.00 PM (Section 1) and Tuesday, May 1, 3.00 5.00 PM (Section 2). The final grade will be given on the total weighted grade percentage according to the following scale: % grade 90 or more 4.0 85-89 3.5 80-84 3.0 75-79 2.5 70-74 2.0 60-69 1.5 50-59 1.0 less than 50 0.0

Homework: The textbook contains numerous exercises and you are supposed to try to solve of them as many as you can. Additionally, on a regular basis some exercises will be given as homework which has to be turned in for grading. Homework will always be collected at the beginning of the class. Thereby only hand-written solutions will be accepted, no copies or other prints. Students whose solutions are word-byword identical have to share their points. Policies: Academic Honesty: The Department of Statistics and Probability adheres to the policies of academic honesty as species in the General Student Regulations 1.0, Protection of Scholarships and Grades, and in the All-University of Integrity of Scholarship and Grades which are included in Spartan Life: Student Handbook and Resource Guide. Students who plagiarize will receive a grade 0.0 on the assignment. ADA: To arrange for accommodation a student should contact the Resource Center for People with Disabilities (353-9642) http://www.rcpd.msu.edu/ Disclaimer: The instructor reserves the right to make any changes he considers academically advisable. Changes will be announced in class and on the course web site. It is your responsibility to keep up with any changed policies and assignments.