MTH 2680 - Introduction to Probability

3 lecture hours 0 lab hours 3 credits
Course Description
This course introduces the probability in discrete and continuous sample spaces; counting techniques; conditional probability and independence; discrete distributions including binomial, Poisson, and geometric; continuous distributions including normal, and exponential; moment generating functions; transformation of variables; and multivariate discrete and continuous distributions.
Prereq: MTH 1120  (quarter system prereq: MA 2314)
Note: Not for students with credit for MTH 2610  and MTH 2620 .
This course meets the following Raider Core CLO Requirement: Think Critically
Course Learning Outcomes
Upon successful completion of this course, the student will be able to:
  • Use combination and permutation to solve related problems
  • Apply basic set theory concepts to probability problems
  • Use basic probability rules
  • Use tree diagrams and Venn diagrams to solve probability problems
  • Use DeMorgan's Laws in probability problems
  • Identify and solve problems involving conditional probability
  • Identify and solve problems involving total probability, Bayes' Theorem and independence
  • Define a discrete random variable and the probability mass function and use them in examples
  • Define the cumulative distribution function for discrete random variables and use it to solve related problems
  • Define expected value for discrete random variables and use it in related problems
  • Solve problems involving conditional expectations of discrete random variables
  • Identify and apply the discrete uniform distribution 
  • Identify and apply the binomial distribution
  • Identify and apply the geometric distribution
  • Identify and apply the Poisson distribution
  • Identify and apply the negative binomial distribution
  • Define a continuous random variable and the probability density function and use them in examples
  • Define the cumulative distribution function for continuous random variables and use it to solve related problems
  • Define expected value for continuous random variables and use it in related problems
  • Use measures of central tendency, including mean, median, midrange, mode, quartiles and percentiles of data sets, and for continuous random variables
  • Use measures of dispersion, including variance and standard deviation, both for discrete and continuous random variables
  • Define and apply Moment Generating Function of different discrete distributions
  • Identify and apply the continuous uniform distribution 
  • Identify and apply the normal distribution
  • Identify and apply the exponential distribution
  • Identify and apply joint (multivariate) distributions of discrete and continuous random variables
  • Define and use conditional distributions for both discrete and continuous multivariate
  • Define and use independence, covariance and correlation for both discrete and continuous multivariate

Prerequisites by Topic
  • Derivatives of functions, product rule, quotient rule, and chain rule
  • Integrals of functions, substitution, integration by parts

Course Topics
  • Combinatorial probability: tree diagrams, the multiplication principle, permutation and combination
  • General probability: set theory review, basic rules of probability, DeMorgan's laws, conditional probability, Bayes' theorem, independence
  • Discrete random variables and their distributions: probability mass function, cumulative distribution function, expected value (mean)
  • Measures of central tendency: median of a data set, midrange of a data set, mode of a data set, quartiles, and percentiles of a data set
  • Measures of dispersion: variance and standard deviation
  • Conditional probabilities: conditional expectation
  • Different types of discrete distributions: discrete uniform, binomial, geometric, negative binomial, Poisson
  • Continuous random variables and their distributions: probability density function, cumulative distribution function, expected value, variance, mode, median, percentiles, moment generating function, conditional probabilities, conditional expectation
  • Different types of continuous random variables: continuous uniform, exponential, normal
  • Multivariate probability: joint distribution of multivariate discrete, conditional probabilities, independence, covariance, correlation
  • Joint distribution of multivariate continuous: conditional probabilities, independence, covariance, correlation

Coordinator
Dr. Yvonne Yaz


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