Math 234 -Introduction to Probability and Statistics
Instructor: Dr. Ari Wijetunga
Office Telephone: 477-4007
Office Hours: See Website
Department: Mathematics Office: MacLean 375C
E-mail: wijetung@mnstate.edu
Classroom: MA 169 2:15-4:00 MTWTHF
Website: web.mnstate.edu/wijetung
Course Description: Measures of central tendency and variation, probability, probability distributions,
sampling distributions and the central limit theorem, estimation and tests of hypotheses for one
population mean and proportion, and simple linear regression
Prerequisite: Math 127 or Math 227
Credits: 3.0 credit hours
Text: Statistics for Business and Economics by Anderson, Sweeney, Williams, Camm, and Cochran, 12th
Edition
TI 30 and above calculator or similar calculator with statistical functions is required. No cell phone
calculators are allowed during examinations.
Course Objectives: Students are expected to learn basic statistical concepts that are given in the course
description and to follow other courses for which this course is a requirement.
Instructional Strategies: Lecture mode. Examples will be discussed in class with student participation.
Statistical data analysis is done using Excel and Minitab. Usage of hand calculators will also be discussed
in class.
Course Requirements: Students are expected to a) do all homework assigned, and examinations and b)
learn to use hand calculators with statistical functions properly and to work with Excel and Minitab
computer packages.
Grading Policy: There will be Four hour-examinations (100 points each), homework assignments (100
points) and a. Final comprehensive examination (100 points). Scores will be averaged to 100 points.
90%- A; 80%-B; 70%-C; 60%-D, below 60%-F. No credit for late assignments.
Disability Services: Students with disabilities who believe they may need an accommodation in this class
are encouraged to contact Greg Toutges Coordinator of Disability Services at 477-2131 (Voice) or1-800627-3529 (MRS/TTY), FF 154 as soon as possible to ensure that the accommodations are implemented in
a timely fashion.
Attendance Policy: See Student Handbook http://www.mnstate.edu/sthandbook/POLICY/index.htm
Academic Honesty: See student Handbook
http://www.mnstate.edu/sthandbook/POLICY/index.htm
Conduct in class: No cell phones, please. You may ask questions from your instructor at any time during
the lecture. Please do not talk to your neighbors during the class, and I will ask you to leave the class if
you disturb other students around you. If you want to leave the class early for some reason, please sit in
the front row and leave quietly without disturbing the class. If you cannot come to class due to
university events, please come and see me to discuss the material you have missed and use my web to
stay current with the course material.
Course Outline
Section
1.1, 2, 3
2.1, 2.2
3.1
3.2
3.3
4.1
4.2
4.3
5.1,2
5.3
5.5
5.6
6.2
7.3,4
7.5
7.6
8.1
8.2
8.3
8.4
9.1,2
9.3
9.4
9.5
14.1,2
14.3
Topic
Applications in Business and Economics, Data, Data Sources
Summarizing Quantitative Data
Measures of Location
Measures of Variability
Measures of distribution shape, relative location and detecting
outliers
Experiments, counting rules, and assigning probabilities
Events and their probabilities
Some basic relationships of probability
Random variables, Discrete probability distributions
Expected value and variance
Binomial probability distribution
Poisson distribution
Normal probability distribution
Point estimation and sampling distribution
Sampling Distribution, Central Limit Theorem
Sampling distribution of Sample Proportion
Estimation of Population mean, σ known
Estimation of Population mean, σ unknown
Determining the sample size
Estimation of Population proportion
Developing Null and Alternative hypotheses, Type I and Type II
errors
Testing for Population mean, σ known
Testing for Population mean, σ unknown
Testing for Population Proportion
Simple linear regression model, least square method
Coefficient of determination and correlation
14.4, 5
14.6
Model assumptions, Testing for significance
Using Regression equation for prediction
Minitab and Excel are used for data analysis.