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MATH 3338: Probability

Spring 2019

the course is finished! Enjoy your summer!

Homework Textbook Calendar Quizzes Exams

"If I had an hour to solve a problem, I'd spend 55 minutes thinking about the problem and 5 minutes thinking about solutions.”
Albert Einstein

All information on the website is subject to change if circumstances require it. I will communicate any changes during the class. Check back for the most up-to-date information.

If you haven’t found here what you were looking for, please contact me using the contact information below, or let me know in person. All your inputs are highly valued and appreciated.

Syllabus

Class syllabus can be found here.

Class Place/Time

Tuesday, Thursday 10:00-11:20am in SEC 202

Office Hours

Tuesday 11:30am-12:30pm in my office PGH 634, or by appointment

Contact
Dr. Anna Vershynina (you may refer to me as either Doctor/Dr. or Professor/Prof.)
anna@math.uh.edu
please include “MATH 3338” in the subject, so that your email won't be regarded as spam.
Normally, I answer relevant emails within one business day.

Text

We will be using the book "Introduction to Probability, Statistics, and Random Processes" by Hossein Pishro-Nik. You are not required to purchase the book, as it is openly available online.

Prerequisites

MATH 1432

Course Overview

During the course we aim to cover the following topics:
-Combinatorics
-Discrete and continuous random variables
-Independent and dependent events and random variables
-Normal and exponential distribution
-Expectation and variance
-Joint distribution
-Law of large numbers
-Central Limit Theorem

Grading

Your final grade will break down as follows:

Homework: 7% (one lowest grade will be dropped)
Quizzes: 15% (one lowest grade will be dropped)

2 Midterms: 2x20%=40%

Final: 38%

There will be no extra credit in this class.

Your grade will be guaranteed by the following table. The percentage could be slightly adjusted downward at the end of the class.

A	>90%
A-	85-90%
B+	80-85%
B	75-80%
B-	70-75%
C+	65-70%
C	60-65%
C-	55-60%
D	50-55%

Homework

A list of homework problems can be found here. Homework will be checked for completeness only, not correctness. But a solution MUST be relevant to the problem and should not be a copy of another student's work. Homework is due at the beginning of the class on days indicated in the calendar below. Once I begin the instruction, homework may no longer be turned in. No late homework will be accepted for any reason, because one lowest grade will be dropped.

Your homework needs to include the cover page, which should contain two things:
a) the homework number, for example "Homework 4"
b) and a word, which is sort of a password for you. Any word, number or picture will do, as long it is NOT you name or ID. When picking up the homework, you will identify your paper by this "password", not your name.
Nothing else should be written on the cover page.
c) Cover page should be STAPLED to the rest of your homework.

If your homework will not comply with the rules above, you will be able to pick it up only during office hours, or from me personally if there is enough time before the class.

You are encouraged to work with other students, form study groups,... But it is mandatory for you to write solutions to every problem solely by yourself after you discussed it in a group, do not copy another student's work.

Quizzes

About once a week there will be a short 10-15-min quiz at the beginning of the class. The quiz will consist of one/two homework problems that are due on or before the day of the quiz. The day of the quiz is indicated in the class calendar below. Once the quiz is started, I will not distribute any more problem sheets, including to any late arrivals. If you arrive late, you will miss the quiz. There will be no exceptions or makeup quizzes, if you miss it for any reason, because one lowest grade will be dropped.

No books, notes, calculators, cell phones, any electronic devices, or any other help is permitted on the test.

Midterms

There will be two midterm exams held during the class. The dates of midterms will be communicated later. Each exam will start at the beginning of the class and will last for 80 min. Do not be late for the class, or you will loose exam time.

Each midterm will mostly cover material not covered by a previous one. A more detailed list will appear here later and will be communicated in class.

For each midterm you are allowed to bring one letter size sheet of paper with handwritten notes on both sides. No other notes, books, calculators, cell phones, any electronic devices, or any other help is permitted on the test. Bring your student ID cards to midterms.

There will be no make up midterms. If you miss a midterm for any reason, the weight of that exam will be added to the weight of the final. You may miss only one midterm exam per this policy. The second missed midterm will result in a zero grade, if you miss it for any reason. If you miss both exams for reasons described in the section Extraordinary circumstances below, and you are able to provide satisfactory documentations in a timely manner (in particular, before the last day of class), the weight of the first midterm will go to final, and the weight of the second one will be spread out between homework and quizzes. I strongly discourage you to miss any midterms for any reason.

Midterm 1 will take place on February 21, and will cover chapters 1-3.
Midterm 2 will take place on March 28, and will cover chapters 4-5.

Final

Final will be held in class on April 25. It will start sharp at 10:00am. The final will cover ALL material from the beginning of the semester.

For a final you are allowed to bring one letter size sheet of paper with handwritten notes on both sides. No other notes, books, calculators, cell phones, any electronic devices, or any other help is permitted on the test. Bring your student ID cards to the final. There will be no make up final.

IMPORTANT
Retain ALL class material until you see your final grade in the system. Do NOT throw away your graded quizzes, homework, exams,… until the final grade is posted in the university system.

Attendance and Tardiness

Attendace for the class is not mandatory, but strongly advised. If you miss class, for whatever reason, you are responsible for all material covered, any assignments missed, and any announcements made in class. If you have to miss classes for a prolonged period due to a serious illness, you should contact me as soon as possible.

The class will start on time every time. Tardiness is disrespectful and disruptive to the instructor and to your fellow students, who arrived on time. Do not be late for classes, as you will loose the opportunity to turn in your homework or take a quiz. If you come in late, you are not allowed to distract any students. Coming to class on time is entirely your responsibility. If you have any concerns or you are expecting to be late often for a valid reason, please talk to me about it at the start of the semester, or as soon as the matter preventing you from being tardy arises. But note, that homework or quiz, that has already been missed, will not be excused for any reason, as one lowest grade for each will be dropped.
I strongly discourage you to miss any classes.

Photography

Taking photos of the board in class is allowed. But do not distribute or share your recording with anyone, and do not post it anywhere without my written consent. Recordings are only for the your personal use in study and preparation related to the class. Taking videos/audios are not allowed in class. You must erase all photos after the class ends. If you wish to keep recordings beyond the end of the course for future review, you must obtain my written permission.

Class Calendar
The chapters listed in the calandar are tentative, and are subject to change without notice. I will update the chapter we covered after each class.

Tuesday	Thursday	Tuesday	Thursday
January 15 Introduction + 1.2	January 17 1.2+1.3	January 22 HW 1 due 1.4	January 25 Quiz 1 1.4
January 29 HW 2 due 2.1	January 31 Quiz 2 2.1	February 5 HW 3 due 3.1	February 7 3.1
February 12 HW 4 due Quiz 3 3.2.1-3.2.3	February 14 3.2.4-4.1	February 19 Review: 1-3	February 21 Midterm 1
February 26 Midterm Solutions+4.1	February 28 4.2	March 5 HW 5 due 4.3	March 7 Quiz 4 5.1.1-5.1.3
March 12 No class - Spring Break	March 14 No class - Spring Break	March 19 HW 6 due 5.1.4-5.2.2	March 21 Quiz 5 5.2.3-5.2.3
March 26 Review: 4-5	March 28 Midterm 2	April 2 Midterm Solutions+6.1.1-6.1.3	April 4 6.1.4, 6.2.1
April 9 HW 7 due 6.2	April 11 Quiz 6 7.1	April 16 HW 8 due Review: 1-2	April 18 Review: 3-4
April 23 Review: 5-7	April 25 Final - in class 10:00am-11:20am

Extraordinary Circumstances
An excuse from both midterms will be granted for the following reasons only:
- Serious illness, with a doctor's note;
- Major religious observation, with a note from a religious leader;
- Family emergency, with appropriate documentation;
- Active military service, with appropriate approvals.
If you happen to find yourself in any of the above circumstances, contact me as soon as possible, and bring the appropriate documentation in a timely manner (in particular, before the last day of classes). If the absence is foreseen, you must contact me before the exam takes place. Each individual circumstance will be reviewed, and I will decide whether documentation presented is sufficient to demonstrate an excused absence.

Tutoring
Here is the schedule for MUSL tutors, which you are strongly encouraged to utilize.

UH CAPS Statement
Counseling and Psychological Services (CAPS) can help students who are having difficulties managing stress, adjusting to college, or feeling sad and hopeless. You can reach CAPS (www.uh.edu/caps) by calling 713-743-5454 during and after business hours for routine appointments or if you or someone you know is in crisis. No appointment is necessary for the "Let's Talk" program, a drop-in consultation service at convenient locations and hours around campus. http://www.uh.edu/caps/outreach/lets_talk.html

Learning Accommodations
Whenever possible, and in accordance with 504/ADA guidelines, the University of Houston will attempt to provide reasonable academic accommodations to students who request and require them. If you believe that you have a disability requiring an academic adjustments/auxiliary aid, please visit The Center for Students with DisABILITIES (CSD) website at http://www.uh.edu/csd/ for more information. Do not hesitate to contact me to discuss such concerns/needs.

The University of Houston System values diversity and inclusion; we are committed to a climate of mutual respect and full participation. Our goal is to create learning environments that are usable, equitable, inclusive and welcoming. If there are aspects of the instruction or design of this course that result in barriers to your inclusion or accurate assessment or achievement, please notify the instructor as soon as possible. Students are also welcome to contact the Center for Students with DisABILITIES at 713.743.5400 or uhcsd@central.uh.edu to discuss a range of options to removing barriers in the course, including reasonable academic adjustments/auxiliary aids in accordance with the Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 and the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 guidelines.