Math 321: Applied Statistical Methods
Spring 2009
- Instructor: L. Peterson
- Section information: Section
2, class number 8049, 12:00 noon-12:50 P.M., MoWeFr,
Witmer Hall, Room 305
- Prerequisites: Math
166 (Calculus II)
- Phone numbers: 777-4609
(office), 795-8984 (home), 777-2881 (Mathematics office)
- E-mail
address: lawrence.peterson@und.nodak.edu
- Office: 322 Witmer Hall
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Office hours:
| Mondays: | 1:00-1:50 P.M.
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| Tuesdays: | 2:00-2:50 P.M.
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| Wednesdays: | 1:00-1:50 P.M.
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| Thursdays: | 2:00-2:50 P.M.
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| Fridays: | 1:00-1:50 P.M.
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These office hours do not apply during university recesses and
holidays, on Reading and Review Day (May 8, 2009), or during
final exam week. It is generally better for me if you come to see me
during my posted office hours rather than at other times, but you may
drop in to see me anytime during normal business hours. If I am
available and not overly busy, then I can meet with you. We can also
set up an appointment if this is necessary.
- URL for Web site: http://www.und.nodak.edu/instruct/lapeters.
I will post all of the assignments and most class announcements on the
Web site. Use of the Web site is optional.
- Textbook: Applied Statistics
for Engineers and Scientists, Second Edition, by Jay Devore and
Nicholas Farnum (Belmont, California: Cengage, 2005). This is the
only required book for my section of this course. Students in
Professor Minnotte's section will need a couple of other books, but
my section will use Devore and Farnum only. You may purchase the
text at Barnes & Noble, at the Dakota Textbook Company, or from any
other book distributor. If the bookstore has run out of copies of
the book, it may not order any more copies unless you talk to
someone at the bookstore and ask him or her to order a copy
specifically for you.
- Computers: I recommend that you
obtain a scientific calculator or a graphing calculator for use in
this course. It is best to use a graphing calculator or any
scientific calculator with a display that shows the formula that you
are typing.
- Grading:
- Midterm exams: 50%
- Final exam: 30%
- Homework: 20%
- Grading scale: 90% A, 80% B,
70% C, 60% D
- Exams: There will be two midterm
exams and one final exam. The midterm exams will occur in class
during regular class periods. The final exam will be comprehensive
with an emphasis on the material following the second midterm. All
exams will be open-book exams. You may use calculators and
notes during exams. You may not share books, notes, or
calculators during the exams, however.
- Absences from exams: If you will
be absent from an exam, please call me in advance.
- Homework: I will assign and
collect homework problems regularly. I will grade selected
problems. I encourage you to work in groups, but do not copy other
people's solutions. Some assignments may involve work in the
Mathematics Computer Laboratory.
- Policy on late homework: I will
collect homework in class, but it is not officially due until
4:20 P.M. on the announced due date. If you hand in your
homework after class, please bring it to my office; if I am not in
my office, please bring it to the secretary in the Mathematics
Department office. Homework coming in after the
4:20 P.M. deadline will receive 50% credit, provided you hand
it in by 4:20 P.M. on the following business day.
- Solution keys: A file folder in
the Mathematics
Learning Center (rooms 310 and 312, Witmer Hall) will contain
solutions to past homework problems. You may borrow them for a few
minutes at a time. Feel free to photocopy them. There is a
photocopier near the elevator on the second floor of Witmer Hall.
- Tutorial help: You may come to see
me in my office for help with questions or difficulties that you may
have. You may wish to study in the Mathematics
Learning Center (Rooms 310 and 312, Witmer Hall) or in the
University
Learning Center (Room 201, Memorial Union). Tutors in
these two learning centers may not be familiar with the topics in
this course, however.
- Changes to policies: I will
announce any changes to course policies.
- Disabilities and medical
information: If you have emergency medical
information to share with me, if you need special arrangements in
case the building must be evacuated, or if you need accommodations
in this course because of a disability, please make an appointment
with me. If you plan to request disability accommodations, please
register with the Disability Services for
Students (DSS) office (190 McCannel Hall, 777-3425 voice/TDD).
- Course content and course
objectives: This is an introductory course in
statistics. We will cover most of the material in chapters 1, 2, 3,
5, 7, and 8. We will probably skip sections 1.5, 3.4, 3.5,
7.6, and 8.5. To some extent, this course will deal with
theoretical aspects of statistics, but the main emphasis of the
course will be on the use of statistics to solve practical
problems. The specific course objectives are as follows:
- To give the student an understanding of basic statistical
concepts, such as distributions, means, medians, standard deviation,
random variables, confidence intervals, and hypothesis testing,
etc.
- To develop the student's ability to solve basic statistical
problems.
- To provide the student with a modest level of experience with
statistical computer software.
- Final exam: 1:00-3:00 P.M.,
Monday, May 11, 2009, in the usual classroom.
Links
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Lawrence J. Peterson home page
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Information on tutoring
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Mathematics Computer Lab home page
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Department of Mathematics home page
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University of North Dakota home page
Notes on Web Page
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Contact Person: Larry Peterson
E-mail: lawrence.peterson@und.nodak.edu
Phone: (701) 777-4609
Date of most recent update: 8 January 2009
University of North Dakota home page