Schedule

The schedule below is a record of what we have actually done as well as an approximate projection of what we will do; this schedule is subject to change. Course materials will be posted here, in Canvas, and distributed in class. WeBWorK assignments will be posted as they are assigned. Suggested exercises for each section are odd only (unless otherwise specified). Solutions to odd-numbered problems are available at the back of the book. Particularly challenging problems are marked with an asterisk (*).

• Week 1
  • 1/17: Discuss the syllabus. Overview of probability and statistics. Sections 1.1-5 data basics.
    • US Census profile of WA
    • Google trends
    • Political polling
  • 1/19: 1.4-6 visualizations and descriptive statistics. Clarity on the issue of quartiles? Start R projects 1 and 2 (due Mon 1/22).
• Week 2
  • 1/22: Discuss R 1 and 2 and transition from descriptive statistics to probability. Section 2.1 defining probability.
  • 1/24: Continue 2.1. Consider playing the lottery and start a worksheet (due Friday).
  • 1/26: Finish 2.1. Turn in the worksheet.
• Week 3
  • 1/29: 2.2 Conditional probabilities. WeBWorK HW_01 due today.
  • 1/31: 2.2 a worksheet on conditional probability and pmfs. Maybe Bayes' law. Warm-up questions:
    1. What event(s) occurs with probability one?
    2. What event(s) occurs with probability zero?
  • 2/2: 2.2 Bayes' rule and 3.1 random variables. Turn in the worksheet from Wednesday. Which of the following is most/least likely to be true of a randomly chosen resident of Spokane?
    1. The person says they're a feminist
    2. The person says they're a feminist and they have a degree in women's studies
    3. The person says they're a feminist and they have a degree in women's studies and they volunteered for Lisa Brown's mayoral campaign
• Week 4
  • 2/5: 3.1 expected value and variance. WeBWorK HW_02 due today.
  • 2/7: 3.2,5 special discrete random variables. A worksheet.
  • 2/9: 3.1,2,5 more on discrete rvs. Expected value and variance.
• Week 5
  • 2/12: 3.1,4 Variance and the Poisson distribution. WeBWorK HW_03 due today.
  • 2/14: 3.6 distributions of pairs of (discrete) random variables.
  • 2/16: Exam 1 covering Chapters 1 and 2 (all sections) and discrete random variables (Chapter 3 sections 1, 2, 4, and 5). Review material:
    • Exam 1 cover page (draft)
    • Summary sheet (.tex)
    • Exam 1 from 2016
• Week 6
  • 2/19: Presidents' Day Holiday. NO CLASS.
  • 2/21: Continuous random variables. Start a worksheet (due 2/26).
  • 2/23: 3.3 the normal distribution. And other continuous random variables.
• Week 7
  • 2/26: More on continuous random variables.
  • 2/28: 4.1 sample statistics. Start a worksheet (due 3/4). WeBWorK HW_04 due today.
  • 3/1: 4.1 more on sample statistics and the Central Limit Theorem (CLT).
• Week 8
  • 3/4: 4.1 Using the CLT. Turn in the worksheet.
  • 3/6: More functions of random variables and propagation of error.
    • Let X, Y, and Z be iid random variables. Which has greater variance: X+Y+Z or 3X?
  • 3/8: Sample mean and sample variance as point estimators.
    • WeBWorK HW_05 due today
    • Start a worksheet (due 3/20)
• Spring break
• Week 9
  • 3/18: Propagation of error.
  • 3/20: 4.2 Confidence intervals. Start a worksheet (due 3/25).
  • 3/22: 4.2 Confidence intervals. WeBWorK HW_06 due today Sunday.
• Week 10
  • 3/25: Exam 2
  • 3/27: 4.2,3 Confidence intervals and hypothesis tests. Formal intro to the t-distribution (5.1).
  • 3/29: Good Friday. NO CLASS.
• Week 11
  • 4/1: Easter Monday. NO CLASS.
  • 4/3: 4.3 Hypothesis tests.
  • 4/5: Start a worksheet on hypothesis tests and confidence intervals. WeBWorK HW_07 due at 10 PM today.
• Week 12
  • 4/8: 5.2,3,4 two sample tests and CIs and the power of a test.
    • Continue the worksheet (which you should do, but which won't be collected)
    • Or start R project 4 (due Friday, 4/12 in Gradescope)
  • 4/10: 5.5 comparing means with ANOVA.
  • 4/12: Wrap up Ch. 5. R project 4 due in Gradescope.
• Week 13
  • 4/15: Conditional distributions and the regression equation.
  • 4/17: 6.1,2 scatterplots and the least squares line. WeBWorK HW_08 due at 10 PM today.
  • 4/19: 6.3 Interpreting a linear model. Start R project 5 (due Mon).
• Week 14
  • 4/22: More on regression. R project 5 due today.
  • 4/24: More on ANOVA and regression assumptions. Start R project 6 (due 5/1).
  • 4/26: Summary. Exam 3 (take home) will run over the weekend.
• Week 15
  • 4/29: Log transforms and multivariate regression. Start an optional worksheet on income inequality, Pareto distributions, and the Gini index. Turn in the worksheet before the Final exam for extra points toward your worksheet grade (100% is still the maximum).
  • 5/1: Start reviewing. Statistics Done Wrong. R project 6 due today.
  • 5/3: Wrap up the semester.
    • In the article Feeling the Future, a Cornell researcher reports statistically significant evidence for precognition. Dr. Bem ran several experiments around the general idea that emotions might travel back in time (or something). Consider experiment 2:
      • 50 subjects were shown mirrored neutral images side by side and asked which they prefer
      • After the subject selects one, the computer randomly selects one
      • If the computer and subject match, then a positive image is flashed (subliminally)
      • If the computer and subject don't match, a negative image is flashed (subliminally)
      • The test is repeated 36 times for each participant
      • Count how often the subject and the computer match: "hits"
      1. What are the null and alternative hypotheses?
      2. What is the test statistic and what is its distribution?
      3. What is the conclusion?
      4. Do you now believe that precognition is possible? Why/why not?
• FINAL EXAM WEEK
  • Office hours: 12:00-2:00 Monday or by appointment.
  • The final exam will have 2 parts: an in-class exam 8:00-10:00 Tuesday 5/7 and a take-home portion due by 10:00 PM Thursday 5/9. You are allowed one 8.5x11 page of notes (two-sided) on the in-class exam. A formula sheet and normal distribution table will also be provided.
  • See Math 321FLO Spring 2020 for some solutions and extra review material.
  • Summary and review material from this semester:
    • Exam 1:
      • Exam 1 cover page (draft)
      • Summary sheet (.tex)
      • Exam 1 from 2016
    • Exam 2:
      • Exam 2 formulas/summary
      • Exam 2 practice problems
    • Exam 3:
      • Test statistic and CI summary
      • Exam 3 solutions (in Canvas)
    • Using R:
      • R projects page
      • Solutions for R projects 5 and 6 from spring 2020
      • Solutions for R projects 7 and 8 from spring 2020

Course pages

• Syllabus
• R projects
• WeBWorK
• Gradescope
• Z table

Links

• Random!
• Posit cloud (RStudio online)
• Desmos
• WolframAlpha
• Dr. Stover's 321
• Introductory Statistics for the Life and Biomedical Sciences by Vu and Harrington
• Introduction to Probability by Grinstead and Snell
• SticiGui
• Math 321 Spring 2023
• Math 321FLO Spring 2020
• Math 321 Spring 2016
• Math 321 Spring 2011
• Academic Calendar
• Final Exam Schedule

Office hours

• Monday 3:30-4:30
• Tuesday 12:30-1:30
• Wednesday 3:30-4:30
• Thursday 11:00-12:00 in the MLC (Bollier 218)
• Or by appointment

Worksheets

• 1/24: Probability and counting (.tex)
• 1/29: Conditional probability (.tex)
• 2/7: Probability summary and discrete distributions (.tex)
• 2/21: Earthquakes! (.tex)
• 2/28: Functions of random variables (.tex)
• 3/6: Functions of random variables II (.tex)
• 3/20: Estimation (.tex)
• 4/5: Confidence intervals and hypothesis tests (.tex)
• 4/5: Income inequality, Pareto distributions, and the Gini index (.tex)

Suggested problems in the textbook:

Exam 1:

• Chapter 1: 1, 5, 9, 17, 21, 23, 27, 29, 31, 35.
• Chapter 2: 5, 7, 11, 15, 17, 19, 21.
• Chapter 3: 1, 3, 7, 9, 13, 15, 17, 37, 39, 41, 45, 47, 51, 53, 55.

Exam 2:

• Chapter 3: 19, 21, 23, 25, 27, 33, 57, 59.
• Chapter 4: 1, 3, 5, 7, 9.
• Extra problems (answers at the end).

Exam 3:

• Chapter 4: 11, 13, 15, 17, 21, 23.
• Chapter 5: 1, 3, 5, 7, 9, 11, 13, 15, 17, 19, 23, 25, 27, 29, 31, 37, 39, 43, 47.
• Chapter 6: 1, 3, 5, 7, 11, 15, 19, 23, 25, 27.

Logan Axon
Department of Mathematics
AD 51
Gonzaga University
Spokane, WA 99258
Office: Herak 227A
Phone: 509.313.3897
Email: axon@gonzaga.edu

Last updated 5/2/2024