Mathematics 170A - Spring 2004
Probability Theory
- Time and place: MWF at 1 in MS 5127
- Instructor: Thomas M. Liggett
- Office hours: MWF 2-3 in MS 7919 (I will often be available at 3 as
well, so if you have a conflict 2-3 and would like to see me at 3, let
me know during the class that day)
- Teaching Assistant: David Pennington. His office hours starting the
week of January 15 will be M 3-4 and Th 1-2 in MS 3915E.
- Text: Elementary Probability (2nd edition)
by D. Stirzaker
- Prerequisite: Mathematics 32B
- For more information: See Handout
- Midterms: Wednesdays January 31 and February 28. The first midterm will
cover sections 1.1-1.5,2.1-2.2, and 3.1-3.3. The second midterm will cover
explicitly sections 4.1-4.4 and 5.1-5.3 (but implicitly, the material for the
first midterm as well).
- Final exam: The final exam will be 3-6 pm on Monday,
March 19 in MS 5127. It covers sections 1.1-1.5,2.1-2.2,3.1-3.3,4.1-4.4,5.1-5.4,
7.1,7.2,7.4, and 8.1-8.3. The final will be roughly 60% on the material covered
on the two midterms and 40% on the material since the second midterm. There will be a Q/A session 2-4pm on Friday, March 16, in MS 6627. My office hours on March 19 will be 1-3.
Homework
- Due January 16: page 41 #1.8.2,1.8.3,1.8.5; page 48 #3,4,6,8,9,11,13.
- Due January 23: page 47 #1.14.2; pages 48-49 #12a,15,17,18,19; pages 76-77
#1,2,3,5.
- Due January 30: pages 77-78 #4,8(b,c),10,14,16; pages 108-109 #1,2,3,9,11.
(Feel free to ignore the last question in problem 3 about the distribution in the
dealer's hand.)
- Due February 6: page 101 #2; pages 109-111 #10,14,27,29(a); page 152 # 5(a)
(5(b) will be in the next assignment), 10,14,20. On page 101 #2, there is an error
in the statement. It should read "... no two drawn numbers are consecutive or equal..."
- Due February 13: page 139 #7(a,b); page 141 #1,3,5(a,c),6(b); pages 151-153
#1,3,5(b),19,25.
- Due February 20: pages 152-155 #8(ET only; hint: condition on when the first
tail occurs),13,16,24 (note that X can take BOTH signs),27,37,38 (note that there is an error in the answer to
38b); pages 226-228 #2, 14(a,b,c,d) (skip the part about independence),19.
- Due February 27: pages 226-229 #1,7,9,10,12,17a,18,23,28.
- Due March 6: pages 228-230 #21,22,25,31,32,33,40 (on #31 and 40, mean and variance
only); page 334 #1.
- Due March 13: pages 334-335 #3,7,10,14,23,26,28; pages 391-392 #1,3,5.
- Suggested problems on the last material -- not to be handed in: page 392 #6,10,12,16.