units

MTH3241

Faculty of Science

Monash University

Undergraduate - Unit

This unit entry is for students who completed this unit in 2015 only. For students planning to study the unit, please refer to the unit indexes in the the current edition of the Handbook. If you have any queries contact the managing faculty for your course or area of study.

print version

6 points, SCA Band 2, 0.125 EFTSL

Refer to the specific census and withdrawal dates for the semester(s) in which this unit is offered.

LevelUndergraduate
FacultyFaculty of Science
Organisational UnitSchool of Mathematical Sciences
OfferedClayton First semester 2015 (Day)
Coordinator(s)Associate Professor Kais Hamza

Synopsis

This unit introduces the methods of stochastic processes and statistics used in the analysis of biological data, physics, economics and engineering. At the completion of the unit students will understand the application of classical techniques, such as Poisson processes, Markov chains, hidden Markov chains, random walks, martingale theory, birth and death processes, and branching processes in the analysis of DNA sequences, population genetics, dynamics of populations, telecommunications and economic analysis.

Outcomes

On completion of this unit students will be able to:

  1. Understand the idea of random variables varying with time;

  1. Analyse Markov chains at the elementary level, in discrete and continuous time;

  1. Understand key processes in probability, including the Poisson process, birth process, birth and death process, branching processes, random walks, martingales;

  1. Apply the probability processes to practical situations, including queues, epidemics, servicing machines, networks, financial markets and insurance risk.

Assessment

Final exam: 70%
Assignments: 30%

Workload requirements

Three 1-hour lectures and one 2-hour support class per week

See also Unit timetable information

Chief examiner(s)

This unit applies to the following area(s) of study

Prerequisites

One of MTH2010, MTH2015 or ETC2440; and one of MTH2222 or ETC2520.