PROBABILITY AND STATISTICS

Degree course: 
Corso di First cycle degree in Physics
Academic year when starting the degree: 
2019/2020
Year: 
1
Academic year in which the course will be held: 
2019/2020
Course type: 
Basic compulsory subjects
Credits: 
6
Period: 
First Semester
Standard lectures hours: 
48
Detail of lecture’s hours: 
Lesson (48 hours)
Requirements: 

High School mathematics and first year calculus.

Final Examination: 
Orale

Written exam, based on solving a series of problems. Oral exam, where the proposed solutions in the written exam will be discussed. This will be complemented by an in-depth discussion on a specific topic in accordance with the professor in charge.

Assessment: 
Voto Finale

As far as knowledge development, the goal is learning the fundamentals of probability and elements of descriptive statistics and parameter estimate, to be able to perform a basic analysis experimental data. In terms of skills, the target is the development of a "problem solving" attitude.

- deterministic, stochastic and "uncertain" observables
- errors and their measurement
- Combinatorial calculus & Elements of probability
• Frequentist definition of probability
• Conditional probability, correlation
• Distributions, permutations and all that
• Bayes’ theorem
• Probability distribution function
• Moment generating function
- Descriptive statistics
• Mean, median, moda
• Variance and standard deviation
• Weighted mean
• Error propagation
- Bernoulli, Poisson, Gauss probability distribution functions
- Central limit theorem
- Parameter estimate, optimal fit
• Maximum likelihood
• Chi squared
mimimization

The extended program has been detailed in the "content" section.

- John Taylor, An Introduction to Error Analysis: The Study of Uncertainties in Physical Measurements
- Pasquale Erto, Probabilità e statistica per le scienze e l'ingegneria, McGraw-Hill
- E. Piazza, Probabilità e Statistica, Esculapio Editore

lectures & problem solving sessions

NA