Text:

Understanding Basic Statistics
by Brase
Houghton Mifflin, Second Edition
ISBN: 0-618-054707

College Algebra Concepts & Models
by Larson, Hostetler, Hodgkins
Houghton Mifflin, 3rd Edition
ISBN: 0-395-976219

Note: A TI-82 or TI-83 graphing calculator is required in this course.

Course Content:

This course is designed for liberal arts majors who do not expect to take additional math courses. For approximately the first five weeks we will discuss statistical topics such as mean, median and mode, the bell-shaped curve and confidence intervals. The purpose of this unit is to help you view statistics that you come in contact with, in newspapers or television, with understanding and a more critical eye.

The second part of this course will include an algebra review. The emphasis will be on mathematical modeling of data and on applications. Some of the applications to be covered are profit, supply and demand, and linear programming. For a strong visual image, graphing of functions and reading and interpreting graphs will be stressed throughout the course.

Grades:

Grades will be based on 550 points:
300 points for the exams (3 exams each for 100 points)
150 points for the final exam
100 points for other work and activities

Sample Exams:

Sample exams require the free Acrobat Reader software installed

Topics Covered: During Spring 2000 (Old Textbook)

Topic

What is Statistics

Basic Terms

Variability

Data Collection

Circle and Bar Graphs
Stem and Leaf Displays

Frequency Distribution and Histograms

Measures of Central Tendency

Measures of Dispersion

Mean and Standard Deviation of
Frequency Distributions

Interpretation and Understanding Standard
Deviation (not Chebyshev's Theorem)

The Art of Statistical Deception

The Standard Normal Distribution

Applications of Normal Distribution

The Central Limit Theorem

Applications of the Central Limit Theorem

The Nature of Estimation

Estimation of Mean

Bivariate Data - Two Quantitative Variables Only

Linear Correlation

Linear Regression

Linear Equations

Graphing

Equations of Lines
Profit/Revenue, Supply/Demand and Cost Applications
Systems of Equations

Functions

Inequalities in One Variable

Inequalities in Two Variables

Linear Programming

Quadratic Equations

Quadratic Functions

Business Applications of Quadratic Functions
Quadratic Modeling

Exponential Functions

Logarithmic Functions

Applications of Exponential and Logarithmic Functions
Exponential Modeling

Compound Interest