Math 36a - Probability

Information for students, Fall 2004

Course grades are ready and should be available online; e-mail me if you would like to know more about your performance

Have a refreshing break and best wishes for 2005!


Class meets at: Goldsmith 317, MWTh 9:10-10 AM
Lecturer: Dmitry Kleinbock
Office: Goldsmith 207, phone 6-3059
Office Hours: W 2-3:30 PM or by appt.
E-mail address: kleinboc@brandeis.edu
Discussion sessions: M 6-8 PM, also in Goldsmith 317, led by Anish Ghosh
Grader: Emrah Paksoy, emrah@brandeis.edu, office hour F 3-4 PM in Goldsmith 103.

Text: A First Course in Probability, 6th edition, by Sheldon Ross, Prentice Hall, 2001.
The previous edition, not much different from the last one, is on reserve at the Science Library
We have covered the first eight chapters of the book, with some omissions, namely sections:
1.1-1.5, 2.1-2.6, 3.1-3.4, 4.1-4.7, 4.8.1, 4.9, 5.1-5.5 (without 5.5.1), 6.1-6.3, 7.1-7.3, 8.1-8.3.

Final Exam Review Session: Wednesday, December 15, 6-8 PM or later, Goldsmith 317.
Homework 12 is due then or before.

Final Exam: Friday, December 17, 1:30 - 4:30 PM, in Golding 110 (not in Goldsmith 317!)

Sample problems for the final exam include all the problems from quizzes, weekly homework
and the midterm, and in additional the following problems:

Chapters P T S
1 10, 15, 19, 21, 22 3, 4, 6, 8, 9, 10, 12
2 11, 15, 27, 28, 37 6 3, 5, 13, 15
3 11, 12, 14, 15, 21, 36, 85 1 1, 4, 8, 17, 19, 20
4 13, 40, 48, 50, 52, 55 2, 5, 9, 13, 19
5 3, 16, 23, 28, 34, 38, 39, 40 2, 4, 6, 9, 10
6 10, 18, 19, 28, 32 2, 4, 5, 6, 11
7 3, 7, 11, 16, 39 1 2, 3, 11
8 4, 6, 14 1 1, 2a, 3a, 7, 8

Quiz 1: Thursday, September 23, based on Chapters 1 and 2.
Quiz 2: Wednesday, October 6, based on Chapter 3.
Midterm: Thursday, October 22, based on Chapters 1,2,3 and sections 1,2,3,9 of Chapter 4.
Quiz 3: Thursday, November 4, based on sections 5,6,7 of Chapter 4.
Quiz 4: Thursday, November 11, based on sections 1,2,3,5 of Chapter 5.
Quiz 5: Monday, November 22, based on sections 1,2 of Chapter 6.
Quiz 6: Wednesday, December 8, based on sections 1,2,3 of Chapter 7.

Homework assignments and deadlines:

1 Problems P1, P4, P8, P11, P15, P30, (*) T8, (*) T9 in Ch. 1 September 15
2 Problems P3, P7, P10, P12, P17, P19, P56, T11, T12 (*) T15 in Ch. 2 September 22
3 Problems P1, P5, P9, P17, P18, P19, P26, (*) T5 in Ch. 3 September 29
4 Problems P29, P32, P47, P50, P55, P58, P60, P62(a), P64, (*) P62(b) in Ch. 3 October 6
5 Problems P69, P70, P71, P73, (*) P72 in Ch. 3; P1, P4, P7ad, P8ad, P14, (*) T5 in Ch. 4 October 13
6 Problems P17, P19, P22, P26, P33, P35, P36, P37, P38, P39, P41, P45, (*) T33 in Ch. 4 October 26
7 Problems P54, P57, P60, P66, (*) T18 in Ch. 4; P1, P2, P4, P5 in Ch. 5
(It is a good idea to review integration at this point)
November 3
8 Problems P6, P7, P10a, P11, P13, P17, P31, P32 (*) T1 in Ch. 5 November 10
9 Problems P15, P18, P19, P20, P25, (*) T8 in Ch. 5; P2a, P3a, P5, P8a, P9a in Ch. 6 November 17
10 Problems P8bc, P9bcdef, P14, P20, P21, P22, P23, P27, (*) T4 in Ch. 6 November 24
11 Problems P30, P33, P34 in Ch. 6, P1, P5, P6, P31, P33, P36, (*) P4 in Ch. 7 December 6
12 Problems P30, P34, P37 in Ch. 7, P1, P2, P5, P7, P10, (*) T4 in Ch. 8 December 15

(*) stands for an optional problem.

Grades will be computed as follows:

Midterm exam, date TBA 25%
The final exam, as scheduled by registrar 50%
Quizzes, once every 2 weeks 10%
Graded homework 10%
Instructor's discretion 5%

The dates of the midterm exam and quizzes will be announced in advance. Each quiz will take 15-20 min. Homework will be assigned each Wednesday and will be due the following Wednesday. Instructor's discretion includes class participation (answering or asking questions in class) and bonus points (for optional problems or exceptionally thoughtful analysis of tests/homework).