PH7028 – Topics of Inference in Biostatistics

Dr. Ruiyan Luo

Epidemiology and Biostatistics

Fall Semester 2014

Course Basics / Class Day/Time: / Tuesday 1:00-3:30
Class Location: / Peachtree Street Building, 503
Prerequisite(s): / Multivariate calculus, PH7017
Required Course Materials / Jay L. Devore and Kenneth N. Berk (2012) Modern Mathematical Statistics with Applications. Second Edition. Springer.
Optional textbook / John E. Freund’s Mathematical Statistics with Applications, (8th edition) by Irwin Miller and Marylees Miller.
Calculus
Faculty Accessibility / Instructor(s) of Record: / Ruiyan Luo, PhD
Office Location: / One Park Place 640M
Phone Number(s): / 404-413-1435
Email: /
Office Hours/Availability: / Tuesday 11:00-12:00
  1. Course Description:

This course provides an introduction to the fundamental knowledge of derivatives and integrals found in biostatistical inference. The course will introduce the theory of probability, expectation and variance of discrete and continuous distributions, moment generating functions, bivariate and multivariate distributions, maximum likelihood estimation, and bias. Emphasis will be placed on the development of critical thinking skills and how concepts in this course are used in public health and biomedical studies.

  1. Course Objectives / Competency / Assessment of Student Learning:

This course is designed to support students in acquiring competence in the following areas, as indicated in the GSU School of Public Health MPH Core Competencies document.

  • Formulate pertinent research questions and hypotheses in public health in statistical terms.

Specific to Biostatistics Concentration, this course provides theoretical background to support students in acquiring the following competencies.

BSTP 1. Apply basic probability theory and statistical methods to public health.

BSTP 3. Formulate pertinent research questions and hypothesis in statistical terms.

Course Objectives / Program Competency / Assessment Method(s)
Understand the basic probability theory, the concepts of probability distributions and distribution functions. / BSTP 1 & 3 / Homework & mastery exams 1, 2, 3, 5
Identify the most commonly used discrete and continuous distributions. / BSTP1 & 3 / Homework & mastery exams 4, 6
Calculate the moments, joint moments and moment generating functions of random variables. / BSTP 1 / Homework & mastery exams 3—7
Derive the marginal and conditional distributions from the joint distributions. / BSTP 1 / Homework & mastery exams 7
Derive the distributions of the functions of random variables by various methods. / BSTP 1 / Homework & mastery exams 6,7
Identify the mostly commonly used sampling distributions. / BSTP3 / Homework
  1. Course Assignments and Requirements

Assessment / Points per / Total Points
10 Assignments / 2 / 20
7 mastery exams / 12 / 84
  • 10 Homework Assignments (2 points each): Homework will be assigned regularly. Your homework solutions should be organized and neat with solutions in order the order problems were assigned. I will penalize homework that is not clearly legible and out of order. Unless otherwise indicated, assignments MUST be submitted in the form of a hard copy (paper copy) the day (and time) it is due or sooner. Late homework will not be graded.

Each homework problem is worth up to two points. A ‘2’ indicates that the student made a serious attempt at solving the problem, getting a substantial part of the problem correct. (Note that a ‘2’ does not necessarily mean that the problem was solved correctly . . . similar work on an exam might not pass.) A ‘1’ indicates that the student attempted the problem but is quite far from an acceptable solution. A ‘0’ indicates the student did not attempt the problem or did little more than restate the problem.

  • 7Mastery Examinations. There will be seven thirty minutes mastery exams. Students may attempt as many additional mastery exams as they choose during the final exam period. A student will demonstrate mastery of the tested statistical concept by correctly solving problems.
  • Final: No final exam. During the scheduled final exam period (December 9, 10:45-13:15), students may take additional mastery examinations as replacement for exams with lower grades. Higher grade from the two will be used to get the final grade.
  1. Grading Policy

Grading Summary

Each quiz or assignment has been assigned a certain number of points as noted in the above table. Points earned from each assignment will be summed in order to determine your final point total for the semester. Final Grades will then be determined based on the following point ranges:

96 – 104 = A

90 – 95.9 = A-

87 – 89.9 = B+

84 – 86.9 = B

80 – 83.9 = B-

77 – 79.9 = C+

74 – 76.9 = C

70 – 73.9 = C-

60 – 69.9 = D

Below 60 = F

A student who withdrawals at any time up to the mid-point of the quarter will be assigned a W or WF depending upon whether he/she is doing satisfactory work at the time of withdrawal. An average grade of D or F at the time of withdrawal will be assigned a grade of WF. After the mid-point of the quarter, the Registrar’s Office will assign an automatic WF to any student who withdraws from the course without a hardship withdrawal. If a student receives permission to withdraw under hardship, the Instructor will assign a W or WF grade depending upon the student’s work up to the point of time that the student withdrew.

The following is the formal policy at Georgia State University:

Effective Fall 2001, Instructors must on a date after the mid-point of the course to be set by the Provost (or his designee),

  1. give a WF to all those students who are on their rolls but no longer taking the class and
  2. report the last day the student attended or turned in an assignment.

Students who are withdrawn may petition the department chair for reinstatement into their classes.

Incompletes: A student will be given the grade I only if nonacademic circumstances beyond the student’s control prevent the student from completing a small segment of the course—e.g., the final examination. For a student to receive the grade of I, he/she must be doing satisfactory work (an average grade of C or better) up to the point that he/she could not continue. Arrangements must be made with Instructor to remove the incomplete grade within one quarter.

  1. Attendance and Class Participation Policy

Attendance at each class meeting is extremely important and is highly related to overall success in the course. Really, it is! Although I have chosen not to grade class attendance directly, I would like to emphasize that regular attendance and participation is to your benefit. You will note that many important events take place during class time (quizzes, assignments, presentation of content, review information, etc.). In some cases, missing a class may mean a grade of zero on a quiz, or assignment. If you miss class, you are responsible for obtaining information about the course content and any other class activities that took place during the missed class from one of your fellow classmates. Be aware of all make-up policies.

Arriving on Time: Class is scheduled to begin at 1:00pm, you should plan to arrive ON TIME!! It is extremely disruptive for students to enter the classroom once class has already started.

  1. Late Assignments and Make-up Examination Policy
  • Unless otherwise indicated, assignments MUST be submitted in the form of a hard copy (paper copy) the day (and time) it is due or sooner. Late homework will not be graded.
  • I will not give make-up exams during the semester for attending family functions, extending breaks, sleeping in, missing a bus, or illness. If you miss an exam, you receive a temporary zero, but can replace this score with a replacement exam during the final exam period. I may permit alternative exam times for students who give me prior notice of a university-related conflict. Make-up exams must be arranged in advance.
  1. Syllabus Deviation Policy

The course syllabus provides a general plan for the course; deviations may be necessary.

  1. Student Code of Conduct and Policy on Academic Honesty

All students at this University are expected to engage in academic pursuits on their won with complete honesty and integrity. Any student found guilty of dishonesty in any phase of academic work will be subject to disciplinary action. The complete Academic Honesty policy is located in the GSU Graduate Catalog, Section 1350: Students and faculty are expected to review and conform to the university’s policy on academic honesty. Information on the Student Code of Conduct and related policies and procedures are available at:

Special attention should be paid to the sections on plagiarism and multiple submissions:

Plagiarism. Plagiarism is defined as, “appropriating and putting forth as one’s own the ideas, language, or designs of another” (The Living Webster, 1975) – and it is strictly forbidden. Written and oral presentations must be a student’s own work. Students plagiarizing or cheating in any form will face disciplinary action which could result in an “F” in this course and suspension or expulsion from the University. Copying from written materials, presentations, websites, etc. without source acknowledgement and referencing is plagiarism. Read it, appreciate it, learn from it, and make sure you source it – and then reflect it with your own thoughts and words! If you are uncertain about what constitutes plagiarism, please contact the instructor.

Multiple Submissions.It is a violation of academic honesty to submit substantial portions of the same work for credit more than once without the explicit consent of the faculty member(s) to whom the material is submitted for additional credit. In cases in which there is a natural development of research or knowledge in a sequence of courses, use of prior work may be desirable, even required; however, the student is responsible for indicating in writing, as a part of such use, that the current work submitted for credit is cumulative in nature.

  1. Disability Accommodations Policy

Students who wish to request accommodation for a disability may do so by registering with the GSU Office of Disability Services. Students may only be accommodated upon issuance by the Office of Disability Services of a signed Accommodation Plan and are responsible for providing a copy of that plan to instructors of all classes in which an accommodation is sought. The Office of Disability Services is located in the GSU Student Center, Suite 230 and online here:

  1. Course Evaluations Statement

Your constructive assessment of this course plays an indispensable role in shaping education at Georgia State. Upon completing this course, please take time to fill out the online course evaluation.

  1. Additional Policies and Statements

EMAIL COMMUNICATION

When I send email regarding class information, I will use your GSU student email address. As such, you need to plan to check your GSU student email account and or forward your GSU email to an account that you do check on a regular basis. ALL class-related announcements will be sent to your GSU student email – check it! I will not use any other email address for official class communications. When you send me an e-mail, please put PH 7028 and your name on the subject line. If this information is not included in the subject line, there may be a substantial delay in receiving a response from me.

Desire2Learn

Desire2Learn will be used to post class documents. The Desire2Learn logo is on the GSU home page. Students are expected to access the information posted on the class web pages. I will make an effort to inform the class when new information is posted to the class website; however, you should check the site on a regular basis. The site will have a copy of the updated syllabus and any changes that occur as we go along, as well as other relevant class materials including required and recommended readings, assignments, quizzes and data sets.

How to be successful in this course:

1. Come to every class and be on time. If you miss class or come in late, you will be missing an important learning opportunity. In addition, arriving late is disruptive to everyone.

2. Try problems at the end of each chapter. Doing the practice problems is an important way for you to learn the material and determine your level of understanding.

3. Don’t be afraid to ask questions before, during, and after class. I am here to help you and facilitate your learning; my ability to do this is much greater if I know what problems you are having.

4. If you ever feel lost, you probably are – ask for help SOONER rather than later. Waiting until the last few weeks of class may lead to an unwanted outcome (i.e., lower grade).

  1. Tentative course schedule, topics, and readings

Date / Topic / Textbook chapter
8/26 / Derivatives and Integrals / Practice assigned (no grade)
9/2 / Derivatives and Integrals / Practice assigned (no grade)
9/9 / Combination / M&M 1, D&B 2.3
9/16 / Probability
Homework 1 due / 2.1, 2.2, 2.4, 2.5
9/23 / Probability
Homework 2 due,
Exam1: Combination / 2.1, 2.2, 2.4, 2.5
9/30 / Discrete r.v.s & probability distributions
Homework 3 due,
Exam2: Probability / 3
10/7 / Discrete r.v.s & prob. distributions
Homework 4 due / 3
10/14 / Continuous r.v.s & prob. distributions
Homework 5 due
Exam3: 3.1-3.4 / 4
10/21 / Continuous r.v.s & prob. distributions
Homework 6 due
Exam4: 3.4-3.7 / 4
10/28 / Joint prob. distributions
Homework 7 due
Exam5: 4.1-4.3 / 5
11/4 / Joint prob. distributionsHomework 8 due
Exam6: 4.3-4.5, 4.7 / 5
11/11 / Joint prob. distributionsHomework 9 due / 5
11/18 / Statistics and sampling distributions
Homework 10 due
Exam7: 5 / 6
11/25 Thanksgiving day / NO CLASS
12/2 / Statistics and sampling distributions / 6
12/9 / Final exam (replacement exams)