Mathematics 5010-001: Introductory Probability
Spring 2005

Time and Place MWF 10:45 - 11:35 a.m. (AEB 110) Text A First Course in Probability, Ross, Prentice Hall, Sixth Edition
Prerequisites Math 1260 or 2210 Instructor Davar Khoshnevisan
  • Office hours (web link)
  • Contact information (web link)

    • Brief Course Description

    This is a first course in undergraduate probability. It requires a solid knowledge of Calculus (I, II, III), and covers standard material such as combinatorial problems, random variables, distributions, independence, conditional probability, expected value and moments, law of large numbers, and the central limit theorem.

    This course is three credit hours. It serves as a QRQI course (quantitative reasoning-Math, quantitative reasoning-statistics/logic, and quantitative intensive). (Warnings)

    Grading

    The student's grade is based on scores from four midterms (the best three count for 25% each), and a comprehensive final exam (25%). The midterm exams are not comprehensive. The grading curve follows. Further refinements to the grade (e.g., A-, B+, etc.) are made in accord with the fine details of the student's individual performance.

    %-age 86-100 76-85 61-75 51-60 0-50
    Grade A BC DE

    Exams

    The highest three midterm scores, out of the four, make up 75% of the student's grade in the course. The lowest midterm score is dropped. There are no make-up tests in this course, and the midterms are not comprehensive. (Midterm Dates) There is also a comprehensive final exam; it accounts for 25% of the grade.

    Homework (web link )

    Homework is assigned during the lectures, and has assigned due dates. However, homework is not collected, nor graded. The homeworks are generally a mixture of theoretical (theorem/proof; about 30% of the time), and computational problems. The only way to keep up with the pace of this course is to solve, at the very least, the assigned homework problems in a timely fashion.

    Tentative Lecture Schedule (web link)

    Drop/Withdrawal Dates web link

    Seeking Help

    To find help, the students are encouraged to visit the instructor during the designated drop-in office hour (web link), schedule an appointment (web link), or visit the fine (no-cost) tutoring center (web link) of the department of mathematics. The tutoring center is centered at the T. B. Rushing Undergraduate Student Center in the basement of LCB.

    The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA)

    The Americans with Disabilities Act (web link) requires that reasonable accomodation be provided for students with physical, sensory, cognitive, systemic, learning, and psychiatric disabilities. For further details, contact the instructor at the beginning of the term.

    Disclaimer
    © 2003 by the Dept of Math. University of Utah