Probability & Statistics

MATH 3215

Spring 2012

Skiles 268

Tues / Thurs, 12:00 - 1:30 pm

Instructor

Will Perkins

wperkins3@math.gatech.edu

Office: Skiles 017

Office Hours: Tues. 3:00 - 4:00pm and Thurs. 9:00 - 10:00 am

Project Details
  • The project is optional, but you must let me know by March 8 whether or not you'll do one.
  • 30% of your grade if you choose to do one.
  • Due by April 19.
  • You should format your project (or a report on your project) as a webpage so the entire class can see it. We'll put links to all the projects on the course webpage.
  • You can do anything you like, as long as it's somehow related to probability or statistics.
  • You should meet with me several times to discuss your idea and progress.
  • Be creative!
  • What I'm looking for is something that would be of interest to someone outside of this class, in whatever area you choose. If you're doing something about politics, the project should be interesting to someone who cares about politics.
Possible Projects

These are only samples of project ideas to show you how varied your options are. I'd like you to pick a topic that you care a lot about and try to fit it into the ideas we've learned in class.

  • 1 Make a short documentary movie about the history of a topic in probability theory.
  • 2 Answer a question about sports using statistics. eg. Make a hypothesis and test it.
  • 3 Analyze the statistical methods used in recent medical studies. Are their conclusions valid?
  • 4 Design a survey, and a statistical sampling method. Carry out the survey, and analyze the results.
  • 5 Make an interactive webpage that teaches a user basic statistics.
  • 6 Analyze financial data and make predictions.
  • 7 Analyze the performance of weather predictions. Are they in any way biased?
  • 8 What makes a movie popular? Answer using statistics, then analyze your own answer.
  • 9 Draw a comic strip that illustrates an idea in statistics.