assignments

1. Assignment 1 due Wed Feb 26

• From OpenIntro Stats: 1.4 (p.19), 1.15 (p.29), 2.10 (p.57), 2.15 (p.58)
• Find the mean, median and standard deviation of the data for one of the cookies, like we did in class (i.e. don't get R to just calculate it for you, but you can use it, or something else, to do the arithmetic). Check your answers in R.
• R has a built-in data set called "iris". Typing "iris" into an R window will make it show up. Typing "?iris" will give you the help page that describes it. Use some of the tools you learned in the R labs to examine and describe this data set.
• Make a graph in ggplot2. Use any data you like (there are some links on the resources page you might want to explore, and R has some built-in ones too like the iris one from the last question). The goal here is to get started and familiar with it rather than spending hours crafting some perfect complicated visualisation.
• Do something awesome in R and ggplot2. What can you make the software do?
• Find a graph out in the wild (on the internet, in a newspaper, a textbook,...) that you think is misleading. Explain why. The more reputable the source and egregious the visualisation, the more imaginary bonus points you score.
• Find a visualisation out in the wild that is at least moderately complex and that you think does a good job. Explain why you think it does.

2. Assignment 2 due Fri Apr 10

• From Probability Notes: Questions 2 and 3 on p.6; Question 1 on p.10.
• From OpenIntro Stats: q3.25 on p. 114 (Chips in a Bag); q3.37 on p.128 (Cat weights).
• The rule sets for your pig game variants are on the closed resources page. Do some probability and/or expected value calculations (you don't have to analyse your own game; if the rules aren't clear enough then make your own call about how it should go, state that and analyse from there. More generally, if making a rules tweak makes your analysis more interesting or more possible (or both) then state it and go for it).
• Share a paragraph or two outlining what skills/topics you want to address in your final project.

[Note: submission date changed as part of the coronavirus rethink.]

3. Assignment 3 due Fri May 1

Chapters 4 and 5. From OpenIntro Stats (and using R):

• 4.2, 4.4 and 4.6 (p.142); 5.8 and 5.10 (p. 187); 5.22 (p. 203).

4. Assignment 4 due Fri May 8

Broad description: Do some statistical inference.

Slightly more deatiled description: find a data set (one of the built-in ones in R is fine, use library(help="datasets") to see the full list; mtcars and iris are two we've used that are suitable for this) and run several appropriate tests using t-tests, ANOVA, \(\chi^2\)-tests and/or linear regressions. Explain your results. Maybe make some visualisation too. (This assignment is a chance to explore the world of inferential stats, so as long as you make some progress under this heading you're doing the right thing.)

5. Project due Tue May 12

Submit the write-up for your project.

6. Final Grade due Fri May 15

Nothing for you to do. This is here as an assignment so that there's a place on the grades page to put the final grade.