MATH 125 - Introduction to Mathematical
and Statistical Modeling

Professor: Erich Friedman

About the course:

We will meet every MWF 11:00 - 11:50 in Elizabeth 209. This course will essentially cover material from chapters 3-11 of the text Statistics and Data Analysis by Peck, Olsen, and Devore. In this course, we will study descriptive statistics, curve fitting, basic probability including the Binomial and Normal distributions, point estimates, confidence intervals, and hypothesis test for proportions and one or two means.

About me:

My e-mail address is efriedma@stetson.edu. My extension is x7552. My web page can be found at http://www.stetson.edu/~efriedma/. My office is Elizabeth 214-2. My office hours this semester are:

This means I am always in my office during these times, and you do not need an appointment. If you cannot make my regularly scheduled hours, let me know and we can set up another time to talk. You can always e-mail me, but I don't read my e-mail in the evenings. Please come by if you need help, or if you just want to chat. You will soon see that my lecture style is informal. I will be calling you by your first names (or a nickname if you prefer), so please call me Erich.

About you:

Anyone with a need or interest in statistics may take this course. Most of the students in this course are biology, health science, or environmental science majors who need to understand statistics to analyze their senior research data. You will need to remember some basic algebra. Attendance in this class is not manditory, but do not expect me to help you if you do not help yourself. Please be respectful of both me and your classmates. This means coming to class on time and not socializing in class.

About the Math Department:

I am usually available to answer your questions, in and out of class, but the math department offers several additional ways to get help. Much of the day, a free math tutor can be found in the math office, Elizabeth 211. Also, the math secretary has a list of paid tutors available at other times. There is also a math clinic which runs every MTWTh 2:30 - 4:30 and 7:00 - 10:00 pm in Elizabeth 209. Please seek help as soon as you fall behind.

About calculators:

Use of a graphing calculator is required for this course. You will need the calculator for quizzes and tests, and you are not allowed to share. I will be using a TI-83 in class, but you can use any calculator as long as it does means, standard deviations, Z and t probabilities, and can graph data.

About the Honor Code:

Stetson has an honor code. You are not only expected to do your own work, but to tell me if another student is not. The punishment for cheating is an F in the course.

About your grade:

Homework will not be collected, but I will answer some questions in class as time permits. Only odd numbered homework problems are assigned, and the answers are in the back of the book so you can check your work. These problems are designed to help you prepare for the tests, though the tests will not be exact copies of the homework. I encourage you to work together on the homework problems. You should do as much or as little homework as you need, but the leading cause of doing poorly in this course is not doing enough homework.

Quizzes will be given during the second half of 3 different classes, as seen on the syllabus. These will be one page long and will cover recent material. The quizzes are each worth 50 points.

Tests will be given on the 3 dates shown on the syllabus. You will be expected to show your work and justify your answers. The tests are each worth 100 points. Missing a quiz or test incurs a 10% penalty per day, no exceptions.

A Statistical Project is expected so you can put to use the statistics you have learned. In early October, you will present a preliminary talk based on descriptive statistics and/or modeling. In early December, you will present the full project, including confidence intervals and hypothesis tests. These talks will be given outside class at a time when we can all meet, in a computer lab so you can use PowerPoint. A written paper is due at these times as well. The talks are worth 25 points each, and the papers are worth 25 points each, for a total of 100 points.

The Final Exam is comprehensive and is worth 200 points. There are 750 points total. There is no extra credit available.