Mathematical Probability

Department of Mathematics
GETTYSBURG COLLEGE
MATH 351, Mathematical Probability, Fall 2004
Section A

Instructor:
B. Doytchinov
Office: Glatfelter 214
phone: x 6625
e-mail:bdoytchi@gettysburg.edu Office hours:
Mo, We, Fr 2:00-4:00pm
Tu 11:15am-1:00pm

also, by appointment

TEXT

Sheldon Ross, A First Course in Probability, Sixth Edition, Prentice Hall, ISBN 0-13-033851-6.

CALCULATOR

A calculator will be needed for this course. If you have been using a graphing calculator for your Calculus courses, it will be adequate.

COURSE CONTENTS

Combinatorics, discrete and continuous random variables and their distributions, expected value and variance, functions of random variables, the Law of Large Numbers, the Central Limit Theorem, generating functions, and applications such as Markov chains, random walks, and games of chance. See the schedule for more fetails.

LECTURES

There are three lectures per week, conducted in Glatfelter 212, on TuTh, 10:00--11:15am.

You are supposed to attend all lectures. If you miss a class, it is your responsibility to make a copy of the classnotes from another student and make sure you learn what you have missed.

ATTENDANCE AND CLASS PARTICIPATION

Attendance in Math 351 is required.

You are expected to actively participate in class by asking questions, making comments, working on the assignments, and sharing your insights with others. As part of your class participation grade, you are required to attend three of the math department colloquia during the semester. Information regarding these colloquia is on the bulletin board outside Glatfelter 212.

HOMEWORK

Homework is assigned for each section of the book covered. Homework is a required component of the course. Working the exercises will help you learn, and give you some perspective on your progress. You are encouraged to discuss homework problems with each other, however you must individually write your own solution (see the Honor Code section below). No late or sloppy homework will be accepted.

TESTS, EXAMS, QUIZZES, GRADES

You can always check your grades via the BlackBoard site.

There will be four in-class tests, on September 21, October 19, November 9, and December 2. There will be a three-hour Final Exam on Sunday, December 15, 8:30--11:30am.

There will be regular, short, in-class quizzes based on recent homework. No make-up quizzes will be given for any reason. Your lowest three quiz scores will be dropped.

Grades will be determined according to the following table.

Attendance and Participation	10%
Homework and Qizzes	15%
Lowest Test Score	5%
Remaining Test Scores	15% each
Final Exam	25%

The "lowest" and "remaining" exam scores in the table above are understood to be from the four in-semester exams, not the final exam.

HONOR CODE

As you already know, Gettysburg College operates under an Honor Code.

On each piece of work you submit for grading, you should write out the Honor Pledge by hand and sign it. The Honor Pledge is as follows: I have neither given nor received any unauthorized aid, nor have I witnessed a violation of the Honor Code.

Every student is responsible for abiding by the provisions of the Honor Code, beginning with the first day of classes. Specific details about the ways the honor code applies to this course can be found here.

MATH 351, Mathematical Probability, Fall 2004