Syllabus

Course:  Math 11   (Course Catalog)

Title:  Calculus-Based Introductory Probability and Statistics

Credit Hours:  5

Prerequisite:  AP Calculus BC score of 3, 4, or 5, or Math 10B or Math 20B.

Catalog Description:  Events and probabilities, conditional probability, Bayes’ formula. Discrete and continuous random variables: mean, variance; binomial, Poisson distributions, normal, uniform, exponential distributions, central limit theorem. Sample statistics, confidence intervals, hypothesis testing, regression. Applications. Introduction to software for probabilistic and statistical analysis. Emphasis on connections between probability and statistics, numerical results of real data, and techniques of data analysis.

Course Content:  Probability theory is the mathematical study of randomness. Statistics is the science of obtaining information from data. Because data are frequently modeled as arising from a random process, probability is central to the mathematical theory of statistics. This course will provide an introduction to both probability and statistics, focusing on applications. We will cover most of chapters 1-25 of the textbook. Because Math 11 students have seen calculus, we will also discuss some material on continuous probability that is not in the textbook. A list of what topics will be covered each day is on the course web page.

Textbook:  The required textbook is Stats: Data and Models by De Veaux, Velleman, and Bock. You must have the 4th edition of the textbook. If you purchase the textbook from the bookstore, it will include an access code for MyStatLab. Instructions for purchasing an electronic copy of the textbook for $69 are available in TritonEd. If you choose this option, you will have access to the textbook until the end of the quarter, but not after. The international edition of the textbook has different numbers in a few of the problems and is not suitable for this course.

We will also read a handout on "Continuous Random Variables" that is posted to the TritonEd "Content" area.

Course Readings:  Reading the sections in the textbook that correspond to what we are discussing in class is a very important part of learning the subject. Lecture time is very limited and not every subject can be fully covered in the time allotted for lecture. Consequently, it is in your own interests to read the related chapters in the textbook.

Homework:   Homework is a very important part of the course and in order to fully master the topics it is essential that you work carefully on every assignment and try your best to complete every problem. We will have two different kinds of homework assignments in this class: online homework (which will be graded) and "paper-and-pen" homework (which will not be graded).

Read the course Homework page for more information on how your homework score will be computed.

Computer Lab Assignments:  In addition to the weekly homework assignments, there will be eight computer lab assignments due on Fridays. These assignments must be submitted by 9:00 PM on the due date. You will submit your assignments online using TritonEd.

Math 11 Computer Lab Assignments Webpage: http://www.math.ucsd.edu/~math11/W19.html

Late Homework (MyStatLab):  It is possible to submit online homework (in MyStatLab) after the deadline, but there are restrictions. See the course Homework page for details.

Late Computer Lab Assignments:  The first computer lab assignment may be submitted up to one week late for a 1-point penalty. (This is to accommodate those students who enroll late.) Other computer lab assignments will be accepted up to one hour late for a 3-point penalty (to allow for computer glitches at the time of the deadline), but labs completed more than one hour after the deadline will not be accepted.

Statistical Software:  You will use the statistical software Minitab for the computer lab assignments. This software has been installed in the computer labs in rooms B325, B349, and B432 in the basement Applied Physics and Mathematics. You also have the option of downloading a copy of Minitab to your personal computer. Instructions for doing this are provided in TritonEd. If you want to use an Apple computer, you will have to use Minitab Express instead of Minitab. The labs can be completed using Minitab Express, but it does not have all the functionality of Minitab, and consequently it is inconvenient in a few places.

Graphing Calculators:  Although a graphing calculator is not required for the course, it is likely to be helpful. Having a graphing calculator avoids the need to use tables for statistical inference. Graphing calculators will be permitted on exams.

Exams:  There will be two midterm exams and a final exam. Check the Course Calendar for the dates of the exams. You will be permitted to use a calculator during the exams. You will not be permitted to use notes or your book, but you will be provided with a list of formulas. Please bring your student ID to the exams.

Final Exam:

Make-up Exams:  Make-up exams will not be given, nor will we offer exams at an alternate time. If you miss a midterm exam, then we will substitute your final exam score for the missed exam. (See "Method 2" under "Grading" below.)

Grading:  There are two methods to determine your course grade:

Your grade will be computed using both methods and then the better grade will be used. We will not offer make-up exams or offer exams at alternate times. If you miss a midterm exam, your grade will be computed using Method 2 instead of Method 1. If you miss the final exam, you will fail the class. After your weighted average is calculated, letter grades will be assigned based on the standard grading scale.

A+ A A- B+ B B- C+ C C- D F
[99,100] [93,99) [90,93) [87,90) [83,87) [80,83) [77,80) [73,77) [70,73) [60,70) [0,60)


There will be no curve, but we may adjust the scale to be more lenient (depending on the performance of the class). While we may adjust the scale to be more lenient, we guarantee that the grade corresponding to a given percentage will not be lower than specified by the above scale.

Please notice that outside factors, including the need for a certain grade for admission/retention in any academic program, scholarship or transfer credit, graduation requirements or personal desire for a specific grade DO NOT appear in the above calculations, and thus are not considered in any way in the determination of your course grade. Effort, improvement, class attendance and participation will all dramatically improve your grade in the course in that they will allow you to do well on quizzes, exams, and the final exam. They will NOT, however, actively participate in the calculation of your course grade.

No extra credit will be given in this class.

Gradescope: Exam grading will be done using an online tool called Gradescope (https://gradescope.com/). Exams will be scanned and uploaded to Gradescope and will be graded within it. As a consequence, exams will not be returned to the students. Instead, a digital version of your exams will be made available after the grading has been completed. An email will be sent from Gradescope when the exams are made available.

Regrades:   If you wish to request that a computer lab be regraded, you must notify the head lab TA within one week of the time when your lab is graded. Regrade requests on exams will be handled through Gradescope using the built-in regrade request feature. There will be a limited window of time after the exams are made available during which the regrade request feature will be active. This time window will be announced when the exam scores are released to the students.

Please understand that while we will correct errors in the grading, we will not modify the grading rubric or negotiate over partial credit after graded papers are returned to students.

Filing for a Incomplete:  Sometimes it is not possible to complete all of the work in the course due to circumstances beyond your control. (Being unable to take the final exam because of accident or sickness, for example.) In such a case, it may be possible to file for an Incomplete grade. If an Incomplete is granted, you will be given the opportunity to complete the work during the next quarter. (All work must be completed before the end of Week 10 the following academic quarter.) In order to be eligible for an Incomplete, you must meet the following criteria:

Follow this link to find more information about filing for an Incomplete on TritonLink. To apply for an Incomplete, you must fill out and submit the official form.

Office Hours:   The instructor and TAs will hold regular office hours, which will be posted on the course web page. You may attend the office hours of any of the TAs, not just the TA who runs your discussion section. The head lab TA will hold some office hours in the computer lab to help students with computer lab assignments. You are encouraged to attend office hours if you have questions about the course material. You may ask about homework problems or the computer lab assignments during office hours, in which case the instructor or TA will try to determine the source of your difficulties and guide you on the right path. However, because the purpose of homework is to provide you with practice at solving problems yourself, please do not expect the instructor or TA to provide answers or solutions to homework problems.

Time Commitment:   Because hard work is the only way to learn material well, it is extremely important to be prepared to devote a sufficient amount of time to Math 11. According to the policy of UC San Diego's Academic Senate,

The value of a course in units ... shall be reckoned at the rate of one unit for three hours' work per week per quarter on the part of the student.

Note that Math 11 is a 5-unit course because of the additional work involved in completing the computer lab assignments. Therefore, you should expect to spend a total of 15 hours per week on the course, or three hours per week more than you would spend on a standard 4-unit course.

Academic Dishonesty:  Academic dishonesty is considered a serious offense at UCSD.  Students caught cheating will face an administrative sanction which may include suspension or expulsion from the university.  It is in your best interest to maintain your academic integrity.