MAT 5700 Introduction to Probability Theory. Prerequisites: MAT 2030, 2250 or 2350. Only two credits after MAT 2210 or MAT 6150. The textbook is
S. Ross, A First Course in Probability (7th Edition), Prentice-Hall, Upper Saddle River (NJ), 2005, ISBN: 0-13-185662-6. (576 pp, $106.67).It is a good habit to browse through the library stacks to become acquainted with the literature on any subject you are studying. Other possible additional text books (for consulting only!) are:
J-C. Falmagne, Lectures in Elementary Probability Theory and Stochastic Processes, McGraw-Hill, Boston, Massachusetts, 2003, ISBN: 0-07-244890-3. (288 pp, $98.44).
D.P. Bertsekas and J.N. Tsitsiklis, Introduction to Probability, Athena Scientific, Belmont, Massachusetts, 2002. ISBN: 1-886529-40-X. (430 pp, $74.00).
Overview. We will cover most of Chapters 1-8 in the textbook. Students must read the textbook and must bring it to class. Classes begin Tue 06/Sep/03. Tue 22/Nov/03 and Wed 23/Nov/03 are scheduled as Thursday and Friday, respectively. No class during Thanksgiving Recess (Thu 24/Nov/03 -- Fri 25/Nov/03). Classes end Wed 14/Dec/03. Check here (frequently) for an update on this syllabus.
Quizzes will be given almost each Friday that no exam is scheduled. They will be given at the END of the period of class and will last approximately fifteen or twenty minutes. NO makeup quizzes will be given at all.
Homework Assignments will be given for each of the chapters we cover. Keeping up with the homework is probably the single most important things you can do to improve your chances for a good grade. Clarity and brevity will raise your grade, while unclear explanations and unnecessary material will lower it. The discussion should be typed, printed, or legibly hand-written on ordinary size paper. Illegally documents will not be graded.
Attendance to class will be excused (only) in the case of sickness or other emergency. Missing a bus, oversleeping, other tests the same day, etc., are not sufficient reasons for missing a lecture. You will be asked to document the circumstances which caused you to miss the lecture. Ask questions! It's your responsibility to ask about anything you don't understand. Write down the things that bother you while you're reading the text or working on problems, so you'll be ready with a list of questions when you come to class and/or office hours. There's no such thing as a stupid question, usually other students are grateful that you asked the question. Cell Phones and Pages should be turned off during class. Warning to the wise: It is essential to success in this course that attendance be regular and that homework be done daily. Do not allow yourself to get behind.
Grading. Quizzes and Homework Assignments will give up to 40 points. A Midterm Examination (Fri 14/Oct/05) and Final Examination (Mon 19/Dec/05, 10:40 - 01:10 p.m.) will give 30 points each, to complete the 100 points of the final grade. Tentative grade scale: 100-90(A), 90-80(A-), 80-75(B+), 75-65(B), 65-60(B-), 60-55(C+), 55-45(C), 45-35(C-). At the end of the semester, finals grades will be posted in final grades, next to the last four digits of the student's PID.
Office Hours. Mon and Tue 10:35 -- 11:30, and by appointment. FAB 1229, Phone (313) 577-3196, Dr. J.L. Menaldi, e-mail: jlm@math.wayne.edu) Sep/05.