18.600 Probability and Random Variables: Spring 2016

Lectures: MWF 10-11 in 54-100

Office hours: Wednesday 3:00 to 5:00 in 2-249

TAs: Cesar Cuenca and Hong Wang

Hong Wang's office hours:: Monday 4:30 to 6:30 in 2-231

Cesar Cuenca's office hours: Thursday 5:00 to 7:00 in 2-231

Text: A First Course in Probability, by Sheldon Ross. I use the 8th edition, but students are welcome to use 6th, 7th, or 9th editions as well. Both hard copies and electronic versions can be obtained inexpensively online by looking up "first course in probability" at Google, Amazon, or ebay. (Here's another free and fun book.)

Assignments: 10 problem sets (20%), 2 midterm exams (40%), 1 final exam (40%)

Final exam: Johnson Track Tuesday, May 17, 9-12. Check registrar posting for updates.

Gradebook: managed on Stellar course web site

Numbering note: Until spring 2015, the course now called 18.600 was called 18.440. It was renamed last year as part of a departmental effort to make course labels more logical. The current label conveys that 18.600 is a foundational class and a starting point for the 18.6xx series.

TENTATIVE SCHEDULE