MATH 201: Introduction to Probability

Instructor

Mark Herman

E-mail: mherman4 at ur dot rochester dot edu

Lectures: Mon/Tues/Wed/Thurs 9:00-11:15AM on zoom. Go to the Link posted in MATH 201 blackboard.

Office Hours: On zoom 11:15am-12:15pm Tues/Thurs (just send a quick email before you come and I’ll hop on). Available other times by appointment.

Text

Introduction to Probability by David F. Anderson, Timo Seppalainen and Benedek Valko.

Prerequisites

MATH 162 or the equivalent. This is a strict prerequisite; MATH 162 and 201 cannot be taken concurrently. MATH 164 will help in some parts of the course but is not essential.

Course Topics

For a detailed list of course topics, see the course schedule here:

• Homework Schedule

Exams and Grading

There will be a midterm exam and a final exam conducted online at the following times:

Midterm

Thursday June 6, 9:00-10:25AM.

Exam coverage: All sections covered up to and including 4.3. HW1-HW5 are relevant (both WW and written).

See the Old Exams Page to help with studying.

Final Exam

Thursday June 27, 9:00AM-12:00PM.

See the Old Exams Page to help with studying.

Note: The final exam is comprehensive, covering the entire course. Exams are conducted on gradescope and you will be required to have your camera open on zoom while you take the exam.

Your grade for the course will be based on your performance on exams and homework:

• WeBWorK assignments - 15%
• Written homework - 15%
• Midterm Exam - 30%
• Final Exam - 40%

The following is a rough indication of how your course grade will be assigned and exact grade cutoffs will be determined at the end of the semester:

Incomplete “I” grades are almost never given. The only justification is a documented serious medical problem or a genuine personal/family emergency. Falling behind in this course or problems with workload on other courses are not acceptable reasons.

Homework

Written homework will be due each Wednesday and Friday at 1:00pm, starting the first week of class. See the course schedule here:

• Homework Schedule

Homework is submitted on gradescope, an online grading platform. Instructions for submitting on gradescope can be found on the homework rules page:

• Rules for Homework

Your lowest written homework score will be dropped.

Webwork

Webwork sets will be due each Wednesday and Friday at 1:00pm, starting the first week of class.

Your lowest webwork set will be dropped.

To access webwork click the Webwork link in on the MATH 201 blackboard site.

Academic honesty

All assignments and activities associated with this course must be performed in accordance with the University of Rochester’s Academic Honesty Policy. More information is available at: www.rochester.edu/college/honesty.

In this class, you are encouraged to discuss homework with each other, but your work must be your own, and you may not copy someone else’s answers. The detailed policy on homework collaboration can be found on the Homework Rules page.

Also, be aware of the Dept. of Mathematics policy on unauthorized online resources: Any usage whatsoever of online solution sets or paid online resources (chegg.com or similar) is considered an academic honesty violation and will be reported to the Board on Academic Honesty. In particular, any assignment found to contain content which originated from such sources is subject to a minimum penalty of zero on the assignment and a full letter grade reduction at the end of the semester (e.g. a B would be reduced to a C). This applies even if the unauthorized content was obtained through indirect means (through a friend for instance) and/or the student is seemingly unaware that the content originated from such sources. If you have any questions about whether resources are acceptable, please check with your instructor.

Disability Support

The University of Rochester respects and welcomes students of all backgrounds and abilities. In the event you encounter any barrier(s) to full participation in this course due to the impact of disability, please contact the Office of Disability Resources. The access coordinators in the Office of Disability Resources can meet with you to discuss the barriers you are experiencing and explain the eligibility process for establishing academic accommodations. You can reach the Office of Disability Resources at: (585) 275-3424; Taylor Hall. Or, visit Disability Resources.

All exam accommodation requests and arrangements must be discussed/finalized with the professor at least one week in advance of each exam. We are unable to accommodate last-minute requests.

College Credit-Hour Policy

This course follows the College credit hour policy for four-credit courses. This course meets 3 academic hours per week. Students may also be expected to deepen their understanding of the course material through close examination/evaluation of the readings assigned in the course.