STA260s20: Probability and Statistics II
University of Toronto Mississauga, Spring 2020
| Section | Time and Location | Instructor |
|---|---|---|
| LEC0101 | Tues. 11:10-1:00 Thursday 2:10-3:00 in IB 120 | Jerry Brunner |
| TUT0101 | Tuesday 3-4 in IB 200 | Karan Agarwal |
| TUT0102 | Tuesday 4-5 in IB 200 | Karan Agarwal |
| TUT0103 | Wednesday 5-6 in IB 220 | Marie-Louise Ferguson |
| TUT0104 | Wednesday 5-6 in IB 200 | Karan Agarwal |
| TUT0105 | Wednesday 6-7 in DV 1148 | Dashvin Singh |
| TUT0106 | Friday 3-4 in IB 200 | Michael Prashad |
| TUT0107 | Friday 4-5 in IB 200 | Michael Prashad |
| TUT0108 | Friday 5-6 in IB 200 | Marie-Louise Ferguson |
| Instructor | Office | Phone | Office Hours | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jerry Brunner | DH 3028 | 905-828-3816 | brunner[at]utstat.toronto.edu | Tues. 1:10-2:00 and Thurs. 11:10 - 1:00 |
| Karan Agarwal | CC 2110 | karan.agarwal[at]mail.utoronto.ca | 2-3pm Wednesday | |
| Marie-Louise Ferguson | CC 2110 | marielouise.ferguson[at]mail.utoronto.ca | ||
| Michael Prashad | CC 2110 | michael.prashad[at]mail.utoronto.ca | Friday 2-3 PM | |
| Dashvin Singh | CC 2110 | dashvin.singh[at]mail.utoronto.ca | Thursday 5-6PM |
Textbook: Probability and Statistics: The Science of Uncertainty (2nd edition) by Evans and Rosenthal. This is a free download.
Topics: Point estimation, interval estimation, hypothesis testing, Bayesian methods. This is roughly Chapters 6-8 in the textbook.
Prerequisites: STA256H5/STA257H1/ECO227Y5 Note that students without the prerequisites may be removed from the course at any time during the term.
Grading: There will be two term tests, worth 20% of the mark each. They will be given in lecture on Tuesday Feb. 4th and Tuesday March 10th, 11:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.. There will be nine quizzes in tutorial, worth 1% of the mark each. The quizzes will be given the weeks of Jan. 13, Jan. 20, Jan. 27, Feb 10, Feb 24, March 3, March 16, March 23 and March 30. You are required to take the quiz with the tutorial section in which you are officially enrolled. There will also be a 3-hour comprehensive final exam worth 51% of the mark. The marks in this course will not be bumped.
In spite of the marking scheme described above, a good performance on the final exam can save a student from failing the course. Suppose your final average including the final exam is less than 50%. If your mark on the final exam is at least 70%, or your mark on the final is at or above the class median, then you will get a mark of 50% for the course. This rule is intended to give hope to students who have messed up on the tests, and to encourage them to study for the final exam.
Homework: There will be roughly one homework assignment for each quiz, plus one more for the final exam only. Homework assignments are preparation for the term tests, quizzes and the final exam. Questions on the quizzes, tests and exam will be based closely on homework. The general rule is that if an idea or method is required to do the homework, then you are responsible for it. Otherwise, you are not. Sometimes, proofs and derivations from lecture or the text will appear directly as homework problems. This is a sign that you really are responsible for them.
Tutorials: There is no tutorial the first week of class. There will be nine tutorials, one for each quiz. Tutorials and TA office hours are cancelled the weeks of the term tests -- that is, the weeks of Feb. 4th and March 10th. The primary activity in tutorial is the quiz, but there will also be time to discuss homework. The TA will make up the quiz questions based on the most recent homework. The TA will also mark the quiz, but not strictly. If you come and make a decent effort, you get the mark. You are allowed to ask questions during the quiz, and you are allowed to help other students, as publicly as possible. The point is for everyone to learn. However, if you try to turn in a quiz for a friend who did not come, you will both be charged with an academic offence. Again, you are required to take the quiz with the tutorial section in which you are officially enrolled. Conflict with another class you are taking is not an acceptable excuse.
Test re-mark policy: Re-marks are to correct specific errors in marking, not to negotiate the criteria for assigning marks. The process is informal. Just speak to Jerry, and be ready to point out the possible error in marking. To do this, you will need to fully understand the correct answer.
Policy for missed work: If you miss a term test or quiz without a valid excuse, the mark is zero. If you miss one term test with a valid excuse, no makeup will be given. Your mark on the final exam will be substituted for the missing test score. In the unlikely event that you miss both term tests with a valid excuse for each one, you will take a two-hour make-up test based on the same material as Tests 1 and 2. Time and location will be announced, if necessary.
What is a valid excuse? This decision will be made by the professor of the lecture section in which you are officially enrolled. YOU MUST MAKE YOUR REQUEST AND SUBMIT ALL DOCUMENTATION WITHIN ONE WEEK OF THE MISSED TEST except in the case of very serious, incapacitating illness. You will be notified of the decision by email, possibly after a conversation with your professor. Here are some guidelines.
If you miss a quiz for medical reasons, you must submit a University of Toronto Medical Certificate (not just a note), to the professor of the section in which you are officially enrolled. The form is available at
http://www.illnessverification.utoronto.ca
The certificate must include the statement that you were unable to write the quiz for medical reasons. If the certificate does not clearly indicate that you were unable to function, the excuse will not be accepted. Documentation must show that the physician was consulted on the day of the test, or on the next day. A statement merely confirming a report of illness made by the student is not acceptable.
As another example of an excuse that is not acceptable, automotive breakdown or other transportation problems are never valid excuses. If you miss a test because you are taking another class at the same time as this one, that is not a valid excuse. If UTM is officially open, weather is a valid excuse only if more than 50% of the class miss the test.
Again, all documentation must be submitted to your professor within one week of the missed test. Emailing a pdf is acceptable.
Email policy: In general, we are unable to answer technical questions about the course material by email. Typing, or writing out and scanning the answers is just too time consuming. Even for administrative matters, it is usually best to contact your professor or TA in person. An exception is that if you miss a term test, please send your professor an email about it as soon as possible, preferably with the medical form attached. Your professor will notify you of his or her decision by email.
Jerry does not look at messages sent by Quercus Messenger. Individual TAs will have their own policies and preferences.
Missed Final Exam: If you miss the final exam, you must file a petition to defer the exam along with supporting documentation within 72 hours of the missed exam. See http://www.utm.utoronto.ca/registrar/current-students/petitions for details.
Accessibility Needs: We are committed to accessibility. If you require accommodations for a disability, or have any accessibility concerns about the course, the classroom or course materials, please contact Jerry or Accessibility Services (visit http://www.utm.utoronto.ca/accessability or email accessconfirm.utm@utoronto.ca) as soon as possible.