Math 447   -    Probability Theory, Section 2   -    Fall 2025  

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Last update: September 5, 2025 - 5:00 PM
NOTE that this document specifically pertains to Section 2 of the course!
Visit this page frequently for important changes and additions!


Course Material for Section 2 of Math 447

   
REQUIRED: Lecture Notes for Math 447 - Probability by Michael Fochler (your instructor)
   
  1. This document is work in progress and will be modified as the course unfolds.
  2. Older editions of the document will eventually be deleted. You can find them posted in reverse chronological order in this table:

    2025-09-04 version       Full version     Several items in Ch.6 had their "optional" star removed
    Do not print this version! Further major changes will be forthcoming!
    2025-09-04 version       Skeleton     Skeletal versions are for review purposes.
    2025-08-29 version       Full version     Minor changes
    Do not print this version! Further major changes will be forthcoming!
    2025-08-29 version       Skeleton     Skeletal versions are for review purposes.
    They will not be published as frequently as the full versions!
    2025-08-24 version       Full version     Essential change to Notation 2.3 (Notational conveniences for preimages)!
    Do not print this version! Further major changes will be forthcoming!
    2025-08-24 version       Skeleton      
    2025-08-17 version       Full version     First release for the Fall 2025 semester.
    Do not print this version! Further major changes will be forthcoming!
    2025-08-17 version       Skeleton     Skeletal versions are for review purposes.
    They will not be published as frequently as the full versions!

   
REQUIRED: Mathematical Statistics with Applications 7th Edition by Dennis Wackerly (Author), William Mendenhall (Author), Richard L. Scheaffer (Cengage) (the "WMS text" or just "WMS"):
   
NOT required: Cengage Webassign for WSM
   
  1. You have the option of buying an electronic version of the text that comes with WebAssign, but as far as I know, you lose access to everything after six months
  2. Since WebAssign is not required, you have the option of obtaining a used version.
  3. Should you take Math 448 at a later time, your instructor may use the same book and require WebAssign access to go with it.
   
Optional: Linear Algebra
    If you did not (yet) take a linear algebra class (not a requirement) and you want to know more about matrices than what you learned in Math 323, here is a good reference.
   
  1. The lecture notes from Paul Dawkins on linear algebra, available at https://www.cs.cornell.edu/courses/cs485/2006sp/LinAlg_Complete.pdf , have the advantage that they cost nothing.
   
Additional Links
    The list below is likely to grow as the semester progresses.
   
  1. Errors found in the non--MF course material:     •   WMS 7Ed errors
  2. Sample exam problems: Check this out: Practice exam for midterm 1 with solutions . I got this exam from Prof. Weisblatt and Haines. Ignore problem 6 (moment generating functions)! Note that my midterm will pose much easier questions! Also, you find a more detailed solution to #2 in the new chapter "Sample Problems for Exams" of my lecture notes.
  3. Solutions for selected quiz and exam problems:     •   Quiz 01 - 03 (quiz 2 solutions added on Sep 5)