| Instructor: | Dikran Karagueuzian |
| Office: | Whitney 110 |
| Phone: | (607) 777-2981 |
| Office Hours | M 4:40-6, W 4:40-6:00 |
Contacting me: the best way is by email: dikran@math.binghamton.edu. Do not send email to my @binghamton.edu address.
Our textbook is Mathematical Statistics with Applications, 7th edition by Wackerly, Mendenhall, and Scheaffer. Of course you can get this text at the bookstore, but there are a couple of other options. First, there is an ebook available, from a number of sources. Second, there is an international student edition available in paperback (ISBN 0495385085). Although not for sale in the US, it is available from overseas booksellers. You can find these sources through, for example, abebooks.com.
The course will cover the chapters of the text that emphasize probability, namely chapters 2-7. Subsequently, in Math 448, you will study the chapters that emphasize statistics.
The prerequisite for Math 447 is a grade of C or better in Math 323. If you do not have this prerequisite, and maybe even if you do, you will struggle with Chapter 5, or perhaps even earlier. If you do not have the prerequisite, you are not eligible to take this class.
When computing the homework portion of your grade, we will drop the 3 lowest homework scores.
There is a student solutions manual available for the textbook. If you don't want to pay for it, you could share one with a friend, or drop by my office to consult my copy.
Your instructor may give you quizzes at various points through the semester. This may vary slightly depending on your section.
Most of the tests will consist of problems taken directly from the textbook. These test problems will be extremely similar to problems you have done for homework. Since your final grade is largely based on the tests, this means you must do the homework.
A smaller part of the tests will consist of various probability puzzle questions, such as the famous Monty Hall Problem. These puzzles are used regularly in tech company interviews, and you can find many sources of such questions with a web search.
Calculators: Unless stated otherwise, you may use any calculator which is acceptable to the SOA for use on Exam P. Here is their list of acceptable calculators: only the following Texas Instrument calculator models may be used: BA-35, BA II Plus, BA II Plus Professional, TI-30Xa, TI-30X II (IIS solar or IIB battery), TI-30XS MultiView (or XB battery). Note that if you are caught using any other type of calculator in an SOA exam, this is an automatic fail.
Your grade will be computed from your scores on homework, quizzes, tests, and the final exam, weighted according to the following table.
| Homework | 7% |
| Quizzes | 13% |
| Test 1 | 22% |
| Test 2 | 22% |
| Final Exam | 36% |
The final exam schedule will at some point be available here: scheduled
Test 1 will come at the end of Chapter 3; Test 2 will come at the end of Chapter 5. Both tests will be in class. We will try to move at a pace which will enable us to give the second test before the W deadline.