MA  3339,    Fall 2021

Mon, Wed, Fri 11-12,    Room: CBB 110

NOTE: My lectures will be streamed on Teams syncronously.

1.    Instructor:  Demetrio Labate
Instructor Office:  694 PGH
Office Hours (via Teams): Tue 12-2, Thu 10-11 or by appointment
Phone Number:  (713) 743-3492
E-mail address:  dlabate@math.uh.edu
Homepage:  http://www.math.uh.edu/~dlabate
        Teaching Assistant:  Yewen Huang
Tutoring Hours (Teams): Mon 1:30-2:30 or Tue 1-2
E-mail address:  yhuang55@central.uh.edu
2.     Goals and Objectives:
The course is an introduction to statistics. Students are introduced to the notions of graphical and descriptive methods in statistics, probability models, random variables and distributions, sampling, estimation, hypothesis testing, regression, analysis of variance, exploratory and diagnostic methods, statistical computing. Students will also be introduced to R, a powerful free software environment for statistical computing and graphics. I will assume no prior knowledge of R.
3.     Textbook: Textbook is not required.
If you want a textbook reference for self-study and if want to have access to additional examples and exercises, you can use "Probability and Statistics for Engineering and the Sciences", 8th or 9th Edition, by Jay Devore, Brooks/Cole.
Lecture Notes: All material needed for the course will be presented in class and made available here (the file will be updated during the semester):
Lecture Notes

The materials provided by the instructor in this course are for the use of the students enrolled in the course only. Course materials may not be further disseminated without instructor permission. This includes sharing content to commercial course material suppliers such as Course Hero or Chegg. Students are prohibited from sharing materials derived from the instructor’s content including lecture notes, problems and exams
Resources for Set theory. Here are some background notes on set theory: brief note, longer article (by Daniel Ashlock at University of Guelph).
R resources. You can run R without the need of installing the package using R Studio Cloud. Alternatively you will have to 1) download R from the Comprehensive R Archive Network CRAN and 2) install Rstudio. Rstudio includes a console, a syntax-highlighting editor that supports direct code execution, and a variety of robust tools for plotting, viewing history, debugging and managing your workspace. Here are some manuals, a tutorial on drawing plots and a few simple examples of R scripts.
Here a summary table on confidence interval and hypothesis testing: tables
5. Homework, tests, exams and grading:
The only way to understand and master the material presented in class is by working out the homework problems on your own. You are strongly encouraged to work out the homework problems that are assigned regularly and carefully. Copying the homework or watching someone else doing the work for you will bring you minimal benefit. There will be (almost) weekly homework assignments posted at the link below. At the end of the semester, your worst HW score will be dropped. The homework will count 30% towards the final grade.

Homework submission and evaluation policy: Every week (unless there is a test) I will administer a short quiz (5-10 min) based on the homework and I might collect the homework (usually I do not). The quiz score will be your homework score.
Quiz policy:The quiz will be adminitered at the end of the lecture, typically between 11:40-11:50am. Submitted Quiz/homework should be delivered in a "professional" form which allows a grader to read your solutions without unnecessary effort or ambiguity. Quizzes/Homework which do not satisfy these guidelines might receive a penalty in the score. In case you will be forced to miss class on the quiz day, you are allowed to submit the homework assignment and the homework grade will be replace the quiz score. In this latter case, you must submit your homewor by the due date at 11:50am. In all other cases you will receive a 0 score if you miss the quiz.

HOMEWORK PROBLEMS:
(The list below will be updated during the semester. Solutions will be posted after quiz collection)
Tests. There will be three tests in class counting 40% towards the final grade (tentatively) on MON SEPT 13, WED OCT 13, MON NOV 15 . The worst of your 3 tests will be half-dropped; that is, the 3 tests counts 40% towards the final grade, where the best two tests will count 16% each, the worst one will count 8%.
Final exam. The final exam counts 30% towards the final grade. This is scheduled on WED DEC 15 at 11 am.
Makeup test. Makeup tests will be allowed only for justified and unavoidable absences (e.g., a car accident, a medical or family emergency). In this case, if possible, previous authorization should be obtained from the Instructor. In all other cases, you will receive a zero score for a missed test. All arrangements for make-ups must be made via email.
 
    Grading:
The grade will be determined according to a set point scale: 90%-100%: A, 80%-89%: B, 70%-79%: C, 60-69% D; F is less than 60% (+ and - will also be used).
 
5. Topics and estimated lectures allocated to each topics:
 
 
 Chapter  Sections   Covered so far Lectures   Topics
1 1-4
 1 Overview
2 1-5
6-7 Probability
3 1-6 5 Discrete Random Variables
4 1-4 5 Continuous Random Variables
5 1-5
4 Joint Probability Distributions
6 1
1 Point Estimation
7 1-4
 6
 Confidence Intervals
8 1-4
 4
 Hypothesis Testing
9 1-2
 3
 Inference
12 1-3 3 Regression Analysis

  6. Additional Information - including Information and policies concerning the COVID Pandemic:
 
  Please, regularly consult COVID-19 Updates and Resources by the Provost Office for the most updated information. Here is the current University protocols about COVID reporting and exposure.

COVID-19 Information: Students are encouraged to visit the University's COVID-19 website indicated above for important information including on-campus testing, vaccines, diagnosis and symptom protocols, campus cleaning and safety practices, report forms, and positive cases on campus. Please check the website throughout the semester for updates.

Vaccinations: Data suggests that vaccination remains the best intervention for reliable protection against COVID-19. Students are asked to familiarize themselves with pertinent vaccine information, consult with their health care provider. The University strongly encourages all students, faculty and staff to be vaccinated.

Mask Policy: To reduce the spread of COVID-19, the University strongly encourages everyone (vaccinated or not) to wear face coverings indoors on campus including classrooms for both faculty and students.

Presence in Class: Your presence in class each session means that you: If you are experiencing any COVID-19 symptoms that are not clearly related to a pre-existing medical condition, do not come to class.

Excused Absence Policy Regular class attendance, participation, and engagement in coursework are important contributors to student success. Absences may be excused as provided in the University of Houston Undergraduate Excused Absence Policy for reasons including: medical illness of student or close relative, death of a close family member, legal or government proceeding that a student is obligated to attend, recognized professional and educational activities where the student is presenting, and University-sponsored activity or athletic competition. Under these policies, students with excused absences will be provided with an opportunity to make up any quiz, exam or other work that contributes to the course grade or a satisfactory alternative. Please, whne it is possible, inform the instructor in advance so that appropriate arrangements can be made for the make up evaluation. Please read the full policy for details regarding reasons for excused absences, the approval process, and extended absences at http://catalog.uh.edu/content.php?catoid=36&navoid=13956. Additional policies address absences related to military service, religious holy days, pregnancy and related conditions, and disability.

Reasonable Academic Adjustments/Auxiliary Aids: The University of Houston complies with Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 and the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990, pertaining to the provision of reasonable academic adjustments/auxiliary aids for disabled students. In accordance with Section 504 and ADA guidelines, UH strives to provide reasonable academic adjustments/auxiliary aids to students who request and require them. If you believe that you have a disability requiring an academic adjustments/auxiliary aid, please contact the Justin Dart Jr. Student Accessibility Center (formerly the Justin Dart, Jr. Center for Students with DisABILITIES).

Recording of Class: Students may not record all or part of class, livestream all or part of class, or make/distribute screen captures, without advanced written consent of the instructor. If you have or think you may have a disability such that you need to record class-related activities, please contact the Justin Dart, Jr. Student Accessibility Center. If you have an accommodation to record class-related activities, those recordings may not be shared with any other student, whether in this course or not, or with any other person or on any other platform. Classes may be recorded by the instructor. Students may use instructor’s recordings for their own studying and notetaking. Instructor’s recordings are not authorized to be shared with anyone without the prior written approval of the instructor. Failure to comply with requirements regarding recordings will result in a disciplinary referral to the Dean of Students Office and may result in disciplinary action.

Syllabus Changes: Due to the changing nature of the COVID-19 pandemic, please note that the instructor may need to make modifications to the course syllabus and may do so at any time. Notice of such changes will be announced as quickly as possible through ( specify how students will be notified of changes).

Resources for Online Learning: The University of Houston is committed to student success, and provides information to optimize the online learning experience through our Power-On website. Please visit this website for a comprehensive set of resources, tools, and tips including: obtaining access to the internet, AccessUH, and Blackboard; requesting a laptop through the Laptop Loaner Program; using your smartphone as a webcam; and downloading Microsoft Office 365 at no cost. For questions or assistance contact UHOnline@uh.edu.

UH Email: Please check and use your Cougarnet email for communications related to this course. To access this email, login to your Microsoft 365 account with your Cougarnet credentials.

Webcams: Access to a webcam is required for students participating remotely in this course. Webcams must be turned on ( state when webcams are required to be on and the academic basis for requiring them to be on ). ( Example: Webcams must be turned on during exams to ensure the academic integrity of exam administration.)

Honor Code Statement: Students may be asked to sign an honor code statement as part of their submission of any graded work including but not limited to projects, quizzes, and exams: “ I understand and agree to abide by the provisions in the (select: University of Houston Undergraduate Academic Honesty Policy , University of Houston Graduate Academic Honesty Policy ). I understand that academic honesty is taken very seriously and, in the cases of violations, penalties may include suspension or expulsion from the University of Houston."

Counseling: 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