Course outline

    The course will be given on the basis of 3 hours a week (Tuesday, 10~12 AM and Thursday, 11~12 AM) in 綜合三館 room 203. The materials for teaching will be regularly posted on the course website (http://www.stat.nthu.edu.tw/~swcheng/Teaching/math2810/). 

    This course introduces students to useful and interesting ideas of the mathematical theory of probability, and to a number of applications of probability to a variety of fields including genetics, economics, geology, business, and engineering. The theory developed together with other mathematical tools such as combinatorics and calculus are applied to everyday problems. Concepts, calculations, and derivations are emphasized. Topics include the basic results and methods of both discrete and continuous probability theory: conditional probability, independent events, random variables, jointly distributed random variables, expectation, variance, covariance, and (possibly) limit theorems.

Textbook:

Homework

    There will be weekly or bi-weekly homework assignments. You are free to discuss the assignment questions with your classmates or TAs, but you must write up your answers individually. You CANNOT turn answers in as a group or simply reproduce a classmate's write up. The homework assignments will be based on the GLOBAL EDITION of the textbook (note that the global edition might have an arrangement of problems somewhat different from the other editions). You are responsible to make sure that you are doing the homework exercises that are actually assigned. All homework must be submitted to our eLearn platform in the PDF format before the start of class on the day it is due.

Make-up classes

    Starting from 2024, the number of class weeks in NTHU has been reduced from 18 to 16. To accommodate this change, make-up classes will be provided when necessary to cover all the course content. Typically, make-up classes will be arranged whenever a lecture is cancelled because of official holidays, typhoon suspensions, or exam periods (midterm and final exams). These make-up classes will be offered via video and the internet. Information about the make-up classes will be announced on the course homepage in advance.

Contact method and office hours

    My office is in 綜合三館 room 818 (phone extension: 33162). My office hour is scheduled on (1) Thursday, 10~11 AM in my office, and (2) 30 minutes after Tuesday and Thursday lectures (i.e., 12:00~12:30 PM) in 綜合三館 room 203 if time permits. Questions by e-mail are also welcome: my e-mail address swcheng@stat.nthu.edu.tw.

    Their information of teaching assistants is as follows:

Grading

    Your grade will be determined by homework (30 %), a midterm (30 %), and a final exam (40 %). 

Prerequisites

    Knowledge of Calculus.