Course Description: This course is the second term of the applied statistics sequence. Statistics involves numbers in context. The numbers you analyze are numbers of something and the results should be described in terms of that thing. Thus, statistics is its own peculiar mixture of common sense, mathematics, and communication skills. This course emphasizes all of these aspects. The topics covered include time series, the analysis of multivariate responses including Hotelling's T-squared and MANOVA, principal components, factor analysis, clustering algorithms, discriminant analysis, and classification schemes.
Assignments: The sole basis for your grade in this course is your performance on the homework assignments. Most of the homework problems involve analyzing real datasets and writing brief reports summarizing your results. These analyses and reports should be taken seriously, done properly, and written well. When asked to summarize your findings on a homework problem, you should write a consultant's report that any lay person could understand, keeping statistical jargon to a minimum. Assignments should be typed into a word processor with graphics added as appropriate.
Software: We will use Minitab in class. You may use other software, but my demonstrations and instructions will be for Minitab. Minitab is simple, menu driven but with easy syntax for writing code when necessary, and cheap. You may purchase a year's license through the IU's Math Stat center for $20 or a 5 month liscence directly through the Minitab corporation for $25.99. It is a wonderful program and you might consider buying a permanent copy for only $100.