RE: math question verrrrrry off topic
Wow, that guy had the nerve to ask it. I know teachers/professors hate that question even when someone ask it after missing JUST ONE class. Dave > -----Original Message----- > From: Katharine Thayer [mailto:kthayer@pacifier.com] > Sent: Saturday, January 19, 2008 1:35 AM > To: alt-photo-process-l@usask.ca > Subject: Re: math question verrrrrry off topic > > While we're way off topic, once when I was teaching > statistics, a guy appeared at my office door just as I was > going to the classroom to give the last lecture of the term, > and said, "I haven't come to class all term; have I missed > anything?" True story. > kt > > > > > On Jan 18, 2008, at 10:04 PM, Dave S wrote: > > > Well, I am OT again. If it gets too much, just let me know. I don't > > know, somehow as I grow older, I seem to like things on the lighter > > side. > > > > Tonight I went to a meeting. I worked with university > students a lot. > > Tonight I chatted to a young sophomore. He is really a smart guy. > > During the > > chat, I asked him how early did he have to go to school > (because it is > > cold here in MI in the morning). He said it doesn't matter > because he > > skipped most of his classes (he is an engineering student. > Engineering > > subjects are more standardized and "fixed" especially for > > freshmen/sophomores so you can learn them yourself from > textbook and > > homeworks). > > > > Then he said, "for my 1st and 3rd semester I skipped almost all the > > classes, and I got a GPA of 3.9. The 2nd semester I attended almost > > all of my classes, and I got a GPA of 3.6; so my conclusion > is it is > > better to skip classes." > > > > Talk about making conclusion from statistical data, huh? :-) > > > > > > Dave > > > > > >> -----Original Message----- > >> From: Katharine Thayer [mailto:kthayer@pacifier.com] > >> Sent: Friday, January 18, 2008 9:49 PM > >> To: alt-photo-process-l@usask.ca > >> Subject: Re: math question verrrrrry off topic > >> > >> :--) > >> > >> > >> On Jan 18, 2008, at 6:23 PM, Diana Bloomfield wrote: > >> > >> > >>> Hey Katharine, > >>> > >>> I don't know-- maybe. I honestly didn't read the other > answers. :) > >>> > >>> > >>> On Jan 18, 2008, at 8:43 PM, Katharine Thayer wrote: > >>> > >>> > >>> > >>>> Hmm, I thought that's what we all already have said, isn't it? > >>>> That that theoretical probability (1/4x1/4x1/4) would > hold only if > >>>> assumptions were met, and since assumptions are > obviously not met > >>>> (for example, judging is not a random lottery of course > >>>> > >> but is done > >> > >>>> on the basis of criteria, arbitrary or otherwise but > certainly not > >>>> random). Also, no one has said whether the 600 entries > >>>> > >> are 600 works > >> > >>>> or 600 people; I was assuming that they are 600 works > representing > >>>> fewer than 600 people, in other words people could submit > >>>> > >> more than > >> > >>>> one work, in which case, as I said, the number of works > >>>> > >> submitted per > >> > >>>> person would also have to be figured into the equation somehow. > >>>> Besides, if one person submits ten pieces and another > >>>> > >> person submits > >> > >>>> one, the ten pieces by the one person couldn't be considered > >>>> independent entries in the same way one of those ten could be > >>>> considered independent of the one from the other person, and > >>>> independence is also an assumption that must be met in order to > >>>> consider the probability of acceptance to be the same for all > >>>> entries. > >>>> Katharine > >>>> > >>>> > >>>> > >>>> > >>>> On Jan 18, 2008, at 4:25 PM, Diana Bloomfield wrote: > >>>> > >>>> > >>>> > >>>>> Okay, Chris. Here is it-- straight from my resident > statistician > >>>>> here: > >>>>> > >>>>> If they were the only 3 people from that institution > who applied, > >>>>> AND if judging was completely random, then the > >>>>> > >> probability of this > >> > >>>>> is roughly 1 in 64 (key word: roughly). If more than > >>>>> > >> that applied > >> > >>>>> from this same institution, and only 3 got in, then the > >>>>> > >> calculation > >> > >>>>> will be more complex. > >>>>> > >>>>> Hope that helps. :) > >>>>> On Jan 17, 2008, at 12:00 PM, Christina Z. Anderson wrote: > >>>>> > >>>>> > >>>>> > >>>>> > >>>>>> Where else but this list can I ask these weird questions about > >>>>>> chemistry and math and computers and alt??? > >>>>>> > >>>>>> OK for you math people (Yves?): If there is a show and 600 > >>>>>> entries, and 150 are accepted, there is a 1 in 4 chance of > >>>>>> acceptance. If 3 people from the same institution are > accepted > >>>>>> what percent chance is that--is it 1/4 x 1/4 x 1/4 or a > >>>>>> > >> 1.5% chance > >> > >>>>>> or is it a more complex formula? > >>>>>> > >>>>>> Forgive the off topic request but it does relate to > >>>>>> > >> photo as 3 of > >> > >>>>>> our program got into a photo show and I want to be able to > >>>>>> mathematically brag about it to the dept. head/dean. > >>>>>> Chris > >>>>>> > >>>>>> Christina Z. Anderson > >>>>>> Assistant Professor > >>>>>> Photo Option Coordinator > >>>>>> Montana State University > >>>>>> CZAphotography.com > >>>>>> _______________ > >>>>>> > >>>>>> > >>>>>> > >>>>>> > >>>>> > >>>>> > >>>>> > >>>>> > >>>> > >>>> > >>>> > >>> > >>> > >>> > >> > >> > >> > >> > > > > > > > > >
|