Courses:

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Two books are recommended but not required for this class.

Wu, C. F. Jeff, and Michael Hamada. Experiments: Planning, Analysis, and Parameter Design Optimization. New York, NY: J. Wiley & Sons, 2000. ISBN: 9780471255116.

Larson, Richard C., and Amedeo R. Odoni. Urban Operations Research. 2nd ed. Belmont, MA: Dynamic Ideas, 2007. ISBN: 9780975914632. (A version of this text is also available online.)

The following readings are also assigned.

Box, G. E. P., and P. Y. T. Liu. "Statistics as a Catalyst to Learning by Scientific Method Part I - An Example." Journal of Quality Technology 31, no. 1 (1999): 1-15.

Efron, B. "Bayesians, Frequentists, and Scientists." 2004. (PDF)^#

Fisher, Sir Ronald A. "Scientific Thought and the Refinement of Human Reasoning." Journal of the Operations Research Society of Japan 3 (1960): 1-10.

Gigerenzer, Gerd. "Mindless Statistics." Journal of Socio-Economics 33 (2004): 587-606.

Gossett, William Sealy (aka "Student"). "The Probable Error of a Mean." Biometrika 6, no. 1 (1908): 1-25. (PDF)

Weibull, Waloddi. "A Statistical Distribution Function of Wide Applicability." Journal of Applied Mechanics 18, no. 3 (1951): 293-297.

Ball, Timothy. "Global Warming: The Cold, Hard Facts?" Canada Free Press, February 5, 2007.

Zager, L. A., and G. C. Verghese. "Caps and Robbers: What can you Expect?" College Mathematics Journal 38, no. 3: 185-191.

"Why People Probably Don't Understand Probability." National Public Radio, All Things Considered, February 9, 2007.

Belenky, Alexander S., and Richard C. Larson. "Faulty System for Democracy." Boston Herald, February 10, 2007.

Calder, Nigel. "An Experiment that Hints We are Wrong on Climate Change." The Sunday Times, February 11, 2007.