dice and statistics
Our first lab looks at some ideas from statistics
using dice. Why dice? Well, it's easy to generate
lots of data and they can be sometimes a bit trickier
than you expect - especially when some of them are loaded. (Yes, loaded.)
What you should do now to get ready.
- If you've ever done any statistics, review that and remind yourself how it works.
- Read the wikipedia articles listed at the bottom of this page, including theones on dice and craps. Follow and browse any of the links that look interesting.
- Be ready to talk about all that stuff in class.
Mon Jan 30
3:00 - 3:30
Jim presents some ideas from statistics.
- mean, standard deviation, normal curve
- formula, intuition, pictures, and std_dev with (n) vs (n-1)
- std_dev(mean of n trials) = std_dev(once)/sqrt(n)
- plugging in the numbers : excel or a calculator
3:30 - 4:30
You folks try to answer the following questions in small groups.
- Are some of these dice loaded? Which ones? How do you know?
- How well can you measure just what to expect when rolling these various dice?
- Can you win at craps with some of these dice? Show me the money...
4:30 - 5:00
We come back together as a class and compare notes.
- Can you display your results as a picture?
What's next
- During the next week, we'd like you to do a better job atanswering these questions. In fact, Jim will give the personwith the best answers a fancy chocolate bar.
- At the beginning of class next week, Jim will explain a bit more ofthe math, and give his version of the answers.
Resources
