This course, taught in Fall 2003 by Prof. Dennis McLaughlin, is a computer-oriented introduction to probability and data analysis. It is designed to give students the knowledge and practical experience they need to interpret lab and field data. Basic probability concepts are introduced at the outset because they provide a systematic way to describe uncertainty. They form the basis for the analysis of quantitative data in science and engineering. The MATLAB® programming language is used to perform virtual experiments and to analyze real-world data sets, many downloaded from the web. Programming applications include display and assessment of data sets, investigation of hypotheses, and identification of possible casual relationships between variables.
Target audience: Introductory undergraduate (1st or 2nd year)
Institution: Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Materials available: Problem sets or projects, Course outline or syllabus, Textbook recommendations, Downloadable code or data files