STATISTICS 3N03/3J04

Statistical Methods for Engineering
Probability and Statistics for Engineering

Course Outline 2005-2006

INSTRUCTORS

Dr P. D. M. Macdonald

Office:	HH-210
Telephone:	905 525-9140 x 23423 (24-hour Voice Mail)
e-mail:	pdmmac@mcmaster.ca

Dr S. Dickson

Office:	JHE-225
Telephone:	905 525-9140 x 24914 (24-hour Voice Mail)
e-mail:	sdickso@mcmaster.ca

OFFICE HOURS (Dr Macdonald)

Wednesday 10:30, 11:30; Thursday 13:30; Friday 12:30.

Please come at the start of the hour. Other times by appointment.

Don't hesitate to contact me by telephone, voice mail, or e-mail any time you need help. If you need to see me at any time and my office door is open, I will see you then if I can, or arrange a time to meet later.

OBJECTIVES

Learn how to apply statistical methods and the principles of experimental design to problems of practical interest, with emphasis on engineering applications. Learn enough about the underlying theory that you can appreciate when a given method may or may not be applicable.

Learn how to use statistical software packages and spreadsheets for statistical analysis. Learn how to use the R environment for statistical analysis. Learn how to display data graphically and organize your results into reports.

Become skilled at the analysis of simple linear regression and one-factor and two-factor designs.

Lay the foundations for learning more advanced statistical methods after you complete this course.

STATS 3J04 students have an additional hour per week to learn probability modelling for Civil Engineering applications.

TEXT

Montgomery, D.C. & Runger, G.C. (2003) Applied Statistics and Probability for Engineers, Third Edition, Wiley.

This book will be useful as a statistics and experimental design handbook in later courses and after you graduate.

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

Optional reference text.

TOPICS

After studying the role of statistics in engineering (Chapter 1) and graphical methods for data exploration (Chapter 6), we will work fairly quickly through Chapters 2-5 and 7-10, touching only on selected topics and summarizing the important theoretical results on which statistical methods are based and illustrating the logic of statistical inference.

The most important topics will be covered in the final weeks: simple linear regression with a lack-of-fit test (Chapter 11) and the design and analysis of single-factor (Chapter 13) and some multi-factor (Chapter 14) experiments.

LECTURE NOTES

Copies of the lecture notes may be borrowed from the Instructor.

COURSE WEB SITE

Check the course web site at http://www.math.mcmaster.ca/peter/s3n03/s3n03_0506 regularly for announcements, assignments, course notes, and answers to frequently-asked questions.

COMPUTERS

Students are expected to use computers in this course. Students will learn how to do statistical analysis in the R environment. Students are encouraged (but not required) to become familiar with other statistical packages such as MINITAB and SPSS, and a spreadsheet such as Excel.

ASSIGNMENTS and EXERCISES

It is each student's responsibility to keep up to date with the course by working ahead in the text. Each chapter of the text has worked examples and lots of problems. I will give you some exercises to work on but not hand in, and I will provide solutions to these exercises.

Three assignments will be handed in for grading.

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 Student Technology Centre when you write Test #1. Tests MUST be submitted on paper; electronic submission is NOT permitted.

**If you have a conflict on your assigned evening, you may write on the other evening or on Thursday morning. Please e-mail me at least 3 days before the test if you need to take an alternative time.

EXAMINATION

There will be a formal 3-hour examination scheduled by the Registrar in December.

Aids permitted: Any calculators; one sheet of notes (8.5" x 11", both sides); any mathematical or statistical tables. A photocopy of Tables I-V from the course text is recommended.

GRADING SCHEME

All assignments will be counted, weighted in proportion to total marks. All tests will be counted, weighted equally. The best of the following four calculations will be used:

   (A) 100% Exam;
   (B) 80% Exam + 20% Assignments;
   (C) 80% Exam + 20% Tests;
   (D) 60% Exam + 20% Assignments + 20% Tests. 

For STATS 3N03 students, this will be their final mark.

STATS 3J04 students have an additional hour per week that will include three tests set by Dr Dickson. Their final mark will be 85% the mark computed as shown above, plus 15% for the tests on the additional material.

I will review all "borderline" marks and possibly make further adjustments.

ACADEMIC ETHICS AND DISHONESTY

Academic dishonesty consists of misrepresentation by deception or by other fraudulent means and can result in serious consequences, e.g. the grade of zero on an assignment, loss of credit with a notation on the transcript (notation reads: "Grade of F assigned for academic dishonesty"), and/or suspension or expulsion from the university. It is your responsibility to understand what constitutes academic dishonesty. For information on the various kinds of academic dishonesty please refer to the Academic Integrity Policy, specifically Appendix 3.

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Statistics 3N03/3J04