LARTS 392 Introduction to Probability and Mathematical Modeling
Introduction to Probability and Mathematical Modeling will give students an introduction to the evaluation of probability and uncertainty. Probability is the likelihood of an outcome that we are unsure of. We have an intuitive idea of what “You have a 30% chance of getting selected after an audition” means. This statement quantifies that probability or uncertainty because the world is full of variation. While variation can sometimes be predicted, understanding uncertainty and probability is a foundation to scientific understanding. To apply probability and uncertainty to real-world systems, students will construct their own mathematical models of complex systems. Through this exercise, students will be able to quantify the uncertainty or influence of individual variables in a system. Students will use the free computing software and learning environment “R” to construct and run their mathematical models. As such, very basic programing in R will also be introduced.