STA113: Probability and Statistics in Engineering

Profs: Feng Liang Robert Wolpert TAs: Merrill Liechty Fei Liu
E-Mail: feng@stat.duke.edu wolpert@stat.duke.edu merrill@stat.duke.edu fei@stat.duke.edu
Off Hr: Old Chem 217 Old Chem 211c Old Chem 025 Old Chem 025
Tue 3:45-5:45pm Wed 2:00-4:00pm Thu 4:00-6:00pm Sun 4:00-6:00pm
Tel: 668-5228 684-3275 684-8088 684-4558
Lecs: Bio Sci 111 Tue & Thu, 2:15-3:30pm
Labs: Teer 106 Fri 10:30-11:20am Fri 11:50-12:40pm Fri 1:10-2:00pm

Course: Syllabus ACES FAQ Data Lecture Notes Projects FINAL EXAM FORMULA SHEET
Computing: Labs Splus MatLab

Text: Mendenhall and Sincich, Statistics for Engineering and the Sciences (4th edn).

Recommended:
Applied Statistics and Probability for Engineers by Montgomery and Runger. John Wiley and Sons.
Probability and Statistics for Engineering and the Sciences by Jay L. Devore. Duxbury, Thomson Learning.

About the course: This is an introduction to statistical reasoning about uncertainty in engineering, including the necessary elements of probability theory. Each topic in the course builds on the material preceding it, so it is important to master each topic as soon as it is covered.

Exams: There will be two midterm examinations (February 13 and March 27) and a final exam or optional project. Exams are closed-book, but you may bring a single one-sided 8½x11 sheet of formulas, definitions, etc. (this new formula sheet will be included on the final exam; what else do you want to bring in?).

Absences: Attendance at lectures is entirely voluntary, but students who must miss a scheduled midterm or final examination for any reason (athletic, religious, personal, etc.) should if possible make arrangements with me well ahead of time to take a version of the test EARLY. Late make-up tests will be given only with a Dean's Excuse.

Course grades: Approximately 20% for each of the midterm exams, 30% for the final exam or project, and 30% for homework.

Homework: There will be 10 homework assignments, each including several problems, some requiring computer work. Homework will be collected and returned on most Fridays (see syllabus) during computing lab. Homework solutions will be posted on the web soon after the homework assignments are due, so late assignments will not be accepted. Some of the problems will be taken from the textbook and will have solutions in the appendix, so you are requested to show your work. Students may work individually or in groups of up to five people. Those who work in a group DO need to hand in separate solutions AND must specify very clearly the names of all group participants. Students who score 50% or below on the first Midterm may still work with others but will be asked to turn in individual homework solutions for the remainder of the course.

For those problems involving computer work please hand in only relevant material, no unedited or uncommented computer output will be accepted. See FAQ for suggestions on how to print computer output.

The two lowest homework scores will be dropped. Missing homework counts as 0 points. Late homework will not be accepted. No exceptions from this rule. You can always submit homework assignments before the due date.

Computing: Matlab will be used in this course. Matlab has an on-line help system. If you already know S-Plus or R or SAS you're welcome to use that instead, but spreadsheets are not acceptable. Students wanting to learn more about Matlab might want to read the notes by Kermit Sigmon.