Math 103b: Introduction to Probability and Statistics
(Spring 1998)
ASSIGNMENTS AND IMPORTANT NOTICES

Homework Assignment 1 (due Fri. 1/23)

Readings:
Read carefully the course information handout.
Study Chapters 1 and 2 of the book.

Problems:
To do and discuss, but not to hand in: p. 21-23 # 5, 9 (answers in back of book).
To hand in: p. 24-25 # 1, 3, 5.

Data Collection 1 (due on your first lab)

Each student should interview 6 members of the Haverford-Bryn Mawr student community (one of them could be himself/herself): three man and three women.
First make sure that each person has not been interviewed for the same project by some other student (we want to avoid duplicates). Then ask each person his/her height, his/her weight, his/her shoe size and if he/she usually drinks regular, diet, or no soda.
For each person interviewed record the information collected as follows:
sex, height (in inches) , weight (in pounds), shoe size, soda preference (regular, diet, none).
We'll enter the data collected from the class in a file, which we'll use for later work.

Homework Assignment 2 (due Fri. 1/30)

Readings:
Study Chapters 3, 4, and 5 of the book.

Problems:
To do and discuss, but not to hand in: you are advised to do all the problems in the sections labelled "Exercise set A, B, ..." for Ch. 3 and 4 (answers in back of book).
To hand in:
p. 26-27 # 7,11.
p. 50-53 # 2, 4, 5, 6, 7, 9.
p. 74-75 # 2, 6, 8, 9.

Project 1 (due Fri. 2/6)

This is a group project. You can work on it in groups of 4 or 5 people. It is suggested that each group consists of people that go to the Math 103 Lab at the same time, as we might devote a portion of the lab time (during the week of Feb. 2) to group discussion of the project.
Each group is asked to look into journals (a list of possible journals is below; but you can look elsewhere. For example, you can find more titles by looking in the journals referenced in your textbook) and to choose two studies: one should be a controlled experiment and the other an observational study .
You are asked to discuss such studies within your group and then to submit a typed report (the length should approximately two pages) containing:
1) Your names.
2) A description of both the controlled experiment and the observational study, together with complete references (title, volume, number and year of the journals you have taken them from).
3) Your comments on the way each study was designed. (E.g. Was the controlled experiment a randomized one? Was there double-blinding? What was the control group for the observational study? What were the precautions taken to control for confounding factors? etc.).
4) Your evaluation of each study and of the conclusions that were possibly drawn. (Do you agree with the conclusions? In what ways do you think that the study could have been improved? etc.)
Note: This is a group project. NO DIVIDE AND CONQUER is allowed. You are obligated under the Honor Code to work together on each single part of the project.

Homework Assignment 3 (due Fri. 2/6)

Readings:
Study Chapters 5 (this was already assigned), 6, 7, and 8 of the book.

Problems:
To do and discuss, but not to hand in:
Ch. 5 # A.1, A.2, B.1, B.2 (there is a typo in the book: replace "6" by "+,-"), B.3, C.2, C.3, D.3, D.4, E.1, E.3, F.1.
Ch. 7 # A.1, A.2, B.2, B.3, B.6, C.1, D.1, D.2, D.6, E.1, E.2, E.6.
To hand in:
p. 94-95 # 3, 7, 8, 9, 11.
p.104 # 4
p. 105-106 # 2, 6, 7, 10.
Remember that Project 1 is also due on this day.

Homework Assignment 4 (due Fri. 2/13)

Readings:
Study Chapters 8 (this was already assigned), 9 and 10 of the book.

Problems:
To do and discuss, but not to hand in:
Ch. 8 # A.1, A.3, A.4, A.5, from B.1 to B.6, C.2, C.3, C.4, D.1ac.
Ch. 9 # A.1, A.2, A.4, A.5, A.7, B.3, C.1, C.2, D.1, E.3, E.4.
Ch. 10 # A.2, B.2, B.3, B.4, C.1, D.1, E.1.
To hand in:
p. 136-138 # 7, 8, 9, 10, 11.
p. 153-157 # 2, 6, 12bc.
p. 176-177 # 1, 3, 7, 8.

Reminder: In order to master the material and to better prepare yourself for the exams it's crucial that you do all the assigned problems, not just the ones that you have to hand in.

Project 2 (due Fri. 2/27)

This is a group project. You may work on it in groups of 3-4 people.
The purpose of the project is to analyze the data from Data Collection 1, with the help of Jump-in. You should analyze the data using all that applies of what you have learned from chapters 1 through 12 of the textbook.

1) The first thing you should do is to use the data_98.jmp file in the data folder (in the Manduchi 103 folder in the CS/Math server) to create the following three tables, with the tables commands that you learned during the labs.

TABLE 1 should contain 4 columns: gender, height, weight, soda preference (no shoe size, as here men and women are together).
TABLE 2 should contain 4 columns: height of males, weight of males, shoe size of males, soda preference of males.
TABLE 3 should contain 4 columns: height of females, weight of females, shoe size of females, soda preference of females.

Make sure that the columns for gender and soda preference are character ones and that all the others are numeric ones.

2) You are asked to submit a printed copy of all possible histograms, scatter diagrams (with appropriate line fits), quantile and moment or frequency summaries, correlation matrices, etc. -relative to the three tables above- that you can get using the software features learned during the labs. Together with these, you should also submit a typed report (this is the most important part of the project, as it's where your input comes into play), containing the following:

a) A detailed description of what you can read off the diagrams and tables above. For example: write down for each list that you examine things like the mean, standard deviation, median, interquartile range (if a numeric list) as you can read from the tables, for each pair of variables that you analyze write down the correlation coefficient and the r.m.s. error for the regression line. Also comment on each histogram (does it follow the normal curve? etc.), on each scatter diagram (is it football shaped? etc.), and on each fit diagram for a character versus a numeric variable (how are the probabilities distributed? etc.)
b) Use those scatter diagrams which are football shaped to give some examples of how you can use the regression method to make predictions. These should be explicit examples (for instance: one of the examples could be to choose the scatter diagram of heights f versus weights f, if it's football shaped, and to estimate the average weight of a female 60 inch tall by looking at the regression line).
c) Your comments about the analysis that you have performed. What can you observe? What kind of associations did you find? What observations can you make after comparing the analyses of the three tables above? Are there any trends? Any conclusions that you can draw? etc.

Advice: You have more than two weeks to complete this project and it should be a fun project to work on. You should start working on it right away. Delaying the work to the last few days might result in a poor report and a consequently poor grade.

Homework Assignment 5 (due Fri. 2/20)

Readings:
Study Chapters 11 and 12 of the book.

Problems:
To do and discuss, but not to hand in:
Ch. 11 # A.3, A.4, A.6, B.3, C.1, C.3, D.1, D.7, E.1.
Ch. 12 # A.2, A.3.
To hand in:
No homework to hand in this time, since you have an exam. But make sure to work the problems assigned above from chapters 11 and 12 before the exam.
Note: The first midterm on Friday 2/20 will cover the material from chapter 1 to 12 inclusive. The exam will be a closed book, closed notebook exam. Calculators are permitted.

Homework Assignment 6 (due Fri. 2/27)

Readings:
Study Chapters 13 and 14 of the book.

Problems:
To do and discuss, but not to hand in:
Ch. 13 # A.1, A.3, A.4, A.5, B.4, C.2, C.4, C.6, D.1, D.3, D.6, D.8.
To hand in:
p. 198-200 # 3, 4, 5, 9.
p. 213-215 # 1, 3, 9, 10.
p. 235 # 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10.
Remember that Project 2 is due on this day .

Homework Assignment 7 (due Fri. 3/6)

Readings:
Study Chapters 15 and 16 of the book.

Problems:
To do and discuss, but not to hand in:
Ch. 14 # A.1, A.3, B.2, B.4, B.5, C.1, C.2, C.3, C.4, D.4, D.5, D.7.
Ch. 15 # A.1, A.2, A.3, A.5.
To hand in:
p. 252-253 # 1, 2, 3, 4, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11.
p. 261-262 # 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 8.

Homework Assignment 8 (due Fri. 3/20)

Readings:
Study Chapters 16, 17, and 18 of the book.

Problems:
To do and discuss, but not to hand in:
Ch. 16 # A.1, A.2, A.3, A.5, B.3, B.4, B.6, C.1, C.2, C.3.
Ch. 17 # A.1, A.2, A.4, B.1, B.2, B.4, C.1, C.3, C.4, C.7, D.1, D.4, E.1, E.3, E.6, E.8.
To hand in:
p. 285-286 # 3, 6, 7, 8.
p. 304-306 # 1, 2, 5, 8, 9.
Note: Chapter 17, which was covered in the lectures of Wed 3/4 and Fri 3/6, is extremely important, also in view of what we will be doing for the rest of the semester. Make sure you understand completely everything treated here and come talk to me if you have any questions.
Note: Project 3 was handed out at labs the week of March 16.

Homework Assignment 9 (due Fri. 3/27)

Readings:
Read Chapters 18, 19, and 20 of the book.

Problems:
To do and discuss, but not to hand in:
Ch. 18 # from A.3 to A.6, B.1, B.3, C.2, C.4, C.5, C.6.
Ch. 19 # from A.1 to A.5, A.9, A.11.
Ch. 20 # A.1, A.3, A.7, B.1, B.4, B.5, C.1, C.3.
To hand in:
p. 327-329 # 2, 4, 5, 7, 9, 10, 11, 12.
p. 351-352 # 2, 5, 7, 8, 10.
p. 371-373 # 1, 3, 5, 6, 11, 12.

Homework Assignment 10 (due Fri. 4/3)

Readings:
Study Chapters 21 and 23 of the book.

Problems:
To do and discuss, but not to hand in:
Ch. 21 # A.3, A.4, A.5, B.4, C.6, C.7, E.1, E.2.
Ch. 23 # A.3, A.5, A.6, A.7, A.9, B.1, B.3, B.4, B.7, C.1, C.2, C.4, C.6.
To hand in:
No homework to hand in this time, since you have an exam. But make sure to work the problems assigned above from chapters 21 and 23 before the exam.
Note: The second midterm on Friday 4/3 will cover the material from chapter 13 to 23 inclusive, except chapter 22. The exam will be a closed book, closed notebook exam, but you are allowed a 3x5 notecard. Calculators are permitted.

Homework Assignment 11 (due Fri. 4/10)

Readings:
Study Chapter 24 of the book.

Problems:
To do and discuss, but not to hand in:
Ch. 24 # A.2, A.4, A.5, B.1, B.3, B.4, C.1, C.5, C.8, D.1, D.3, D.6, D.7, D.9, D.10.
To hand in:
p. 391-393 # 1, 3, 4, 7, 8, 9, 10.
p. 425-427 # 1, 2, 3, 5, 8, 9.
Important Notice:
On Wednesday April 15 the Math 103 class at 10:30 is cancelled and my office hour is cancelled. However labs will be held at 2 and at 3 pm (lab will also be held on Monday April 13 at 2). During these labs I will lecture.

Homework Assignment 12 (due Fri. 4/17)

Readings:
Study Chapters 25 and 26 (up to section 4 inclusive) of the book.

Problems:
To do and discuss, but not to hand in:
Ch. 25 # A.3.
Ch. 26 # A.1, A.2, A.3, B.2, B.5, C.1, C.3, C.8, D.1, D.3, D.5.
To hand in:
p. 455-457 # 1, 3, 6 ,7, 9, 10.
p. 470-471 # 2, 3, 4.

Homework Assignment 13 (due Fri. 4/24)

Readings:
Finish Chapter 26 and study Chapter 27 of the book.

Problems:
To do and discuss, but not to hand in:
Ch. 26 # E.2, E.3, E.4, E.6, E.8, F.2, F.4.
Ch. 27 # A.5, B.2, B.9, C.1, C.4, D.1, D.5, D.7ab.
To hand in:
p. 497-499 # 2, 4, 5, 8, 10.
p. 520-523 # 1, 2, 3, 7, 9.

Homework Assignment 14 (due Fri. 5/1)

Readings:
Study Chapters 28 and 29 of the book.

Problems:
To do and discuss, but not to hand in:
Ch. 28 # A.2, A.3, A.9, A.10, C.2, C.5, C.6, Review Ex. # 3 and 6.
Ch. 29 # B1, C.1, E.3, E.4, Review Ex. # 2, 7, 8.
To hand in:
Homework will not be collected this week, but make sure to work out the suggested problems for Chapters 28 and 29.
Note: On Monday 4/27 my office hour will be from 1:30 to 3 pm instead of 12:30-2 pm.
Final Exam: This will be a self-scheduled exam, which will constitute 30% of your semester grade. It will be a cumulative exam, but about 50% of the questions will be on the material covered since midterm II. It is a closed book, closed notebook exam. You are allowed one 8-1/2 by 11 sheet of formulas (written on both sides if you want). Calculators are permitted. All the necessary tables will be provided.
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