Syllabus and Course Details
APMA 1650 - Spring 2020
This page constitutes the official syllabus and course policy.
Course Information
Description
APMA 1650 begins an integrated first course in mathematical statistics. The first half of APMA 1650 covers probability and the last half is statistics, integrated with its probabilistic foundation. Specific topics include probability, discrete and continuous random variables, methods for parameter estimation, confidence intervals, and hypothesis testing.
For a detailed outline of the course topics by week, see the Course Schedule page.
Questions and communication Updated
Canvas and webpage for information
Important course announcements will be made through Canvas. Supplementary information will also be posted to the course webpage. Please check both regularly to remain up to date.
Piazza for questions and discussion
Questions about course content and structure should be posted to the course Piazza page (please visit through Canvas if it is your first time). Questions that other students might interested in or might be able to answer should be posted to the entire class (kind of like you are asking a question in class). To save time and effort please check if your question has been posted already (it often is). These posts remain anonymous to the other students, but not the instructors. More private or specific questions should be posted to just the instructors (TAs included). I will also accept emails for important questions, but will encourage you to post it on Piazza if I feel it's more appropriate.
Zoom and Google calendar for office hours
Zoom will be used to hold office hours with myself and TAs as well as to hold personal meetings by request. To participate in this, you must download Zoom on a device with a webcam and microphone. Please see this for more information on getting set up on Zoom.
The office hours will be posted to the Google calendar for office hours. You can either use the embedded calendar on the office hours section of the course homepage, or add the calendar to your own Google calendar (if you use it). Links to the Zoom meetings will be posted in the location for the calendar event. A password will be required to join a meeting and will be available on Canvas and Piazza. If you use Google Chrome, you can install the Zoom scheduler chrome extension, which will allow you to launch a Zoom meeting directly from the Google Calendar event with a "Join Zoom meeting" button.
Course Material Updated
We will primarily be using the following source material for the course:
- Required Mathematical Statistics with Applications, Seventh Edition, by Wackerly, Mendenhall and Scheaffer, Cengage Learning, 2007.
- Required There will be weekly notes and recorded material posted to the notes section of the course webpage. This material will now be required reading/viewing.
Homework Updated
There will still be weekly homework assignments assigned on Gradescope (available through the Canvas page) and on the assignments page and due dates will also appear on the course schedule page and Canvas.
How to submit your homework
The assignments must be submitted through Gradescope by scanning, photographing or typing assignments (see this page for more details on how to submit to Gradescope). The assignments are due by 11:59PM (EST) on the due date given unless noted otherwise. Please do not submit at the last minute in case you run into technical troubles.
Late Homework Updated
A late homework extension window will be available on Gradescope for 24 hours after the homework deadline to account for technical problems. Students who submit the assignment during the extension window will automatically receive a 20pt deduction without proper explanation. If you experience technical problems, you must communicate this as soon as possible via email, Canvas or Piazza. If you don't communicate the problem, the assignment will receive a penalty or not be accepted. An instructor can also submit assignments on your behalf if Gradescope is misbehaving.
If you are unable to complete a homework assignment before the due date and don't have a valid excuse, it is recommended that you turn is as much as you can or take the 20pt penalty by turning it in late. Your two lowest homework score will be dropped at the end of the semester.
If you have another serious excuse for turning in an assignment late, you must contact me directly. In the event of internet failure, assignment extensions will be considered depending on severity of the problem. If you have poor internet and expect there to be problems you must communicate this in advance.
Students are encouraged to work together but must independently write up their own solutions. Students who are suspected of copying part of an assignment will receive a zero on the assignment and may be referred to the Case Administrator of the Academic Code. See the Academic Code section below for more information on the Brown's academic integrity policy.
Midterms and Final Updated
The course has two midterm exams and one comprehensive final exam. One of the midterms was given in class already. The remaining midterm and final exam will be given through Gradescope on the dates listed in the course schedule.
The remaining midterm and final exams will be open-notes/textbook and administered in Gradescope. The exams will be made available to begin over a 24hr period and will be timed from the moment you begin. Solutions to individual problems will need to be scanned and uploaded to Gradescope while taking the exam. SEAS accommodations will be accounted for in the exam time. More information will be made available before the next exam.
The use of online resources (other than course notes and the textbook) or communicating with other students during an exam will be considered a gross violation of Brown's Academic code. Such violations seriously undermine the integrity of the remote learning process, and will be treated severely.
Make-up exams will be given only in the event of a legitimate excused absence. In the case of a planned excused absence you must notify me a minimum of three days before the exam. Any personal or health circumstances must be accompanied by a Dean's Support note. Note that missing an exam in order to gain an advantage is considered a violation of Brown's Academic Code and will be treated as such.
Per faculty rules, the Office of the Dean of the College is solely responsible for determining whether a student's absence from a final examination is excused.
Grading and Regrades Updated
Grading of both exams and homeworks will take place through Gradescope by the TAs. Graded assignments will be available to view on Gradescope after grading in completed.
Assignments will have a regrade period where you can submit your assignment through Gradescope for a regrade. Mistakes will be corrected promptly. Students who disagree with the grading may be denied a regrade request. Regrades will not be considered if you miss the regrade window.
Final grade determination Updated
The breakdown and percentages for all graded materials are described in the following table:
| Category | Percentage |
|---|---|
| Homeworks | 45% Updated |
| Midterms | 35% Updated |
| Final Exam | 20% Updated |
| Extra Credit | 5% Updated |
| Total | 105% |
In accordance with Brown's grading system, ABC/NC or S/NC grades will be tentatively assigned based on the following cutoffs.
| Percentage | Grade | |
|---|---|---|
| 89%-100% | A | S |
| 75%-88% | B | |
| 60%-74% | C | |
| < 60% | NC | NC |
These cutoffs may be subject to change to calibrate to student performance.
Prerequisites
Students are expected to be fluent in single variable calculus and have some exposure to multivariable calculus. Students are required to have taken one of the following courses or their equivalents:
- MATH 0100 Introductory Calculus, Part II
- MATH 0170 Advanced Placement Calculus
- MATH 0180 Intermediate Calculus
- MATH 0190 Advanced Placement Calculus (Physics/Engineering)
- MATH 0200 Intermediate Calculus (Physics/Engineering)
- MATH 0350 Honors Calculus
A minimum score of 4 in 'AP Calculus BC' or minimum score of WAIVE in 'Graduate Student PreReq' is also sufficient.
Academic Code
Students are expected to adhere to Brown's Academic code. Several relevant excerpts are included below.
Students who submit academic work that uses others’ ideas, words, research, or images without proper attribution and documentation are in violation of the academic code. Infringement of the academic code entails penalties ranging from reprimand to suspension, dismissal, or expulsion from the University.
If any of the work is done jointly or if any part of the experiment or analysis is made by anyone other than the writer, acknowledgment of this fact must be made in the report submitted. Obviously, it is dishonest for a student to falsify or invent data.
In writing examinations and quizzes, the student is required to respond entirely on the basis of his or her own memory and capacity, without any assistance whatsoever except such as is specifically authorized by the instructor. Cheating on examinations and quizzes can take the forms listed below. The list is not exhaustive.
- Engaging in other actions that undermine equity and reduce the objectivity of evaluation of student work
- Having another person take an examination in one’s own name
- Using unauthorized materials from which one gains unfair assistance during an exam
- Appropriating an exam or exam materials without authorization
- Missing an exam in order to gain an advantage
- Copying other students’ work during an examination
- Engaging in collaboration or unauthorized assistance on take-home examinations or assignments
Students who are suspected of violating the Academic Code will may be reported to the Case Administrator of the Academic Code.
Students who need accommodations. Updated
I remain committed to assisting anyone who requires accommodations. Extra time can be provided on remote Gradescope exams for those students who require it. However, reduced distraction spaces are now the responsibility of those who are taking the exam.
For more information contact Student and Employee Accessibility Services at 401-863-9588 or SEAS@brown.edu.
- Sam Punshon-Smith 2020