B01.1305 Statistics and Data Analysis

The course B01.1305 is designed to achieve an understanding of fundamental notions of data presentation and analysis and to use statistical thinking in the context of business problems. The course deals with modern methods of data exploration (designed to reveal unusual or problematic aspects of data bases), the uses and abuses of the basic techniques of inference, and the use of regression as a tool for management and for financial analysis.

Texts and Other Class Materials

The course textbook for Fall 2007 is Basic Statistical Ideas for Managers, by David K. Hildebrand, R. Lyman Ott, and J. Brian Gray (Duxbury Press, 2nd edition). A student solutions manual is available for this book. These are available at The Professional Bookstore on Laguardia Place.

Statistical computing will be done with the program Minitab 15 for Windows. This program runs on the Stern network; individual copies can be purchased from the Professional Bookstore.

The latest release number of Minitab for Windows is 15. After you install the program, do Help Þ About Minitab to see the release number. If your release number is below 14, you should get an upgrade from Minitab. This can be done through the web site http://www.minitab.com. If you have trouble completing this upgrade, please consult your instructor.

Minitab can be “rented” from the Web site www.e-academy.com. This will cost about $26 for five months (or about $50 for twelve months) and requires an active credit card. The program will be downloaded to your computer, and it will expire at the indicated date.

Assignments

Homework assignments will be drawn from problems from the text, as well as from other sources. Data files required for the assignments are found on the disk that accompanies the textbook or on the Stern network or on the course web site.

Project

The course project consists of a regression analysis on a set of data selected by the student, with appropriate use of diagnostics, model selection, and inferential tools.

Topical Outline

The abbreviation H&O below refers to Hildebrand and Ott, the course textbook.

Topical Heading

Specific Topics

Readings

Basic data summary

Types of data, descriptive statistics, Pareto chart, stem and-leaf, box plot, standard deviation

H&O, chapter 2

Basic concepts of probability, random variables

Algebra of events, definition of probability, conditional probability and independence, probability mass function, mean, variance, standard deviation

H&O, chapters 3 4

Specific distributions

Binomial distribution, normal distribution

H&O, chapter 5

Point estimation

Central Limit theorem

H&O, chapter 6

Simple linear regression

One predictor model, least squares, inference, t and F tests, R², prediction, checking of assumptions, regression diagnostics

H&O, chapter 11

Multiple regression

Multiple regression model, t and F tests, interpretations of coefficients, residual analysis, diagnostics, model repair, multicollinearity, model selection, transformations

H&O, chapters 12 13

Confidence intervals

Confidence interval for mean m and for binomial proportion p

H&O, chapter 7

Hypothesis testing and inference

Structure of tests, practical and statistical significance, Type I and Type II error, tests for means, tests for proportions, comparison of two groups

H&O, chapter 8

H&O, sections 9.1 9.4

Note for Students with Disabilities

If you have a qualified disability and will require academic accommodation during this course, please contact the Moses Center for Students with Disabilities (CSD, 998-4980) and provide the professor with a letter from them verifying your registration and outlining the accommodations they recommend. If you will need to take an exam at the CSD, you must submit a completed Exam Accommodations Form to them at least one week prior to the scheduled exam time to be guaranteed accommodation.