Statistics 3N03/3J04

Statistical Methods for Engineering
Probability and Statistics for Engineering

Dr P.D.M. Macdonald, Dr Yiping Guo

2006-2007

Announcements

Calendar Description & Course Outline

STATS 3N03: Statistical Methods for Engineering

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

STATS 3J04: Probability and Statistics for Engineering

Introduction to probability, data analysis, statistical inference, regression, correlation and analysis of variance, applications to civil and environmental engineering.

Course Outline

Timetable

Monday 9:30, Tuesday 10:30 and Thursday 9:30 in ITB-137

STATS 3J04 has an additional class with Dr Yiping Guo each Tuesday at 13:30 in T13-125.

Office hours: Monday 10:30, Tuesday 11:30, Thursday 10:30 & 13:30. Other times by appointment.

Textbook

Montgomery, D.C. & Runger, G.C. (2006) Applied Statistics and Probability for Engineers, Fourth Edition, Wiley.

This book will be useful as a statistics and experimental design handbook in later courses and after you graduate. Wiley provides a list of errata for the text and other online resources for students (Third Edition or Fourth Edition) and instructors (Third Edition or Fourth Edition).

Dalgaard, P. (2002) Introductory Statistics with R, Springer.

Optional reference text.

Computer Labs

Drop-in computer labs will be held 19:30-20:30, Monday to Thursday, September 18-21 and 25-28, in BSB-241.

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

Course Notes

• Where are we in the course text?
• Statistical jargon you should know
• Some definitions (There is also an excellent Glossary in the course text, pp 689-702.)
• Which analysis should I do?
• Verifying your assumptions
• Time series and lag plots in R
• How to interpret a box plot
• Making comparative box plots
• How Normal is Normal?
• R functions for Exploratory Data Analysis
• Data sets discussed in class: Trees
• Review problems discussed in class
• Scanned lecture notes
  (These notes were scanned in a prior year. The test dates and deadlines in the notes do not apply to the 2006-2007 session.)
  • 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32.
• Dr Yiping Guo's Notes - STATS 3J04 Tutorial
  (These notes are for STATS 3J04 students ONLY!)
  • Chapter 2, Exercises 4-6, Solutions to Examples, Solutions to Quiz 1, Notice, Notice re 2nd Test

Computing Resources

• R for Beginners - a 31-page introduction to R, in pdf format - and other online manuals
• Download R - an open code language and environment for statistical computing, distributed free of charge, available for unix, Windows, Macintosh, and Linux.

You want the "Precompiled binary distribution", not the "source code". For Windows installation, go to the link for "Windows (95 and later)", open folder "base", and click on R-2.3.1-win32.exe to download the installer. Run R-2.3.1-win32.exe to install R on your computer.

• An Online Splus Tutorial from Dalhousie University

Because you are running R in Windows, not UNIX, you should skip the Introduction, which is mostly about UNIX, and begin with Entering Data. Note that the tutorial uses _ instead of <- but this practice is deprecated so you should always use <-.

• Examples in R
• More examples in R

Assignments

These assignments 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.

• Assignment #1 - RHints - Some results
• Assignment #2 - Solutions
• Assignment #3 - Solutions to Part A, some of Part B
• Assignment #4 - Solutions to Part A
• Assignment #5 - Solutions, Calculator Solutions to Q3, 4, 6
  [I prepared the solutions in R because that is the easiest way for me to post accurate results. I have now done Q3, Q4 & Q6 by hand to show how I organize the calculations.]

Tests

Aids permitted: Any calculators, any mathematical or statistical tables, one sheet of notes (8.5" x 11", one side only).

*You must have a valid userid, password and laser printing account for the BSB computer lab when you write Test #1. Tests MUST be submitted on paper; electronic submission is NOT permitted.

Some Other Links

• My work on mixture distributions
• Statistical Society of Canada / Société statistique du Canada

Trivia

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.