Statistics 3N03

Statistical Methods for Engineering

Dr P.D.M. Macdonald

2000-2001

Any questions, comments or suggestions? Send an e-mail message to me at pdmmac@mcmaster.ca.

Calendar Description & Course Outline

Introduction to statistical methods and applications: data analysis and statistical methods.

• Course Outline

Announcements

Examination Aids Any calculators; one sheet of notes (8.5" x 11", both sides); any mathematical or statistical tables. If the tables are in a textbook, elastic bands must be drawn around the remaining pages so that only the tables can be used. Don't forget to bring elastic bands! You may use the tables of formulas inside the front and back covers of the course text. You may use your calculator instruction card. Check your Final Term Marks - A03 included - corrected 2000-12-18! Click here for Study Hints! Learn about these famous statisticians! Florence Nightingale, William Sealey Gosset and Sir Ronald Aylmer Fisher. George Waddel Snedecor named the F-distribution in honour of Fisher. Gosset and I both studied at New College, Oxford, but we were not there at the same time. Exam Period Office Hours Tue Dec 5 9:00-11:00, 15:00-17:00; Wed Dec 6 10:00-12:00; Fri Dec 8 9:00-12:00; Sat Dec 9 16:00-18:00; Sun Dec 10 16:00-18:00, Mon Dec 11 9:00-15:30. On Dec 7, I will be in Washington serving on a Scientific Advisory Panel for the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.

Timetable

Monday, Wednesday, Thursday at 10:30, in LS-B130E

Computer Labs

• The class will meet in BSB computer labs at the following times:
  • 2000-09-18 10:30 (Monday) BSB-244
  • 2000-09-20 10:30 (Wednesday) BSB-245
  • 2000-09-21 10:30 (Thursday) BSB-244

  You must have a valid userid, password and laser printing account for the lab!

Course Notes

• Statistical jargon you should know
• Some definitions
• Verifying your assumptions
• How to interpret a box plot
• Making comparative box plots
• How Normal is Normal?
• In Statistics, p usually denotes a probability, and q = 1 - p is the probability of the complementary event. But has this anything to do with the old admonition to "Mind your Ps and Qs!"?

 Course Resources

• Where are we in the course text?
• Get the data sets from Montgomery & Runger electronically [Chapters 1-8 only]

Exercises

These exercises are for self-directed learning. They will not be graded and you do not have to hand them in. However, you will find that writing down your interpretation of the results is an excellent way to clarify your understanding. If you complete your report and submit it to me, I will read it and return it with comments and suggestions.

• Exercise #1 - Some results
• Exercise #2 - Some results
• Exercise #3 - Solutions

Assignments

• Assignment #1 - Due 2000-10-04 18:00 - Solutions
• Assignment #2 - Due 2000-10-30 18:00 - Solutions to Part B
• Assignment #3 - Due 2000-12-04 10:30 - Solutions - (with corrections)

 Tests

• Test #1 - Solutions
• Test #2 - Solutions
• Test #3 - Solutions

 Some Other Links

• Download R - a freeware package with the look and feel of Splus
• R for Beginners - a 31-page introduction to R, in pdf format
• My work on mixture distributions
• Statistical Society of Canada / Société statistique du canada

Need more help?

• If you have concerns about preparing for tests and examinations, improving your study habits, giving class presentations, or mastering English as a second language, the Centre for Student Development can help.

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Statistics 3N03
Statistics 3N03 1999-2000

Dr Macdonald's Courses