2025 Fall Course Syllabus - Mathematics 8031.001

Course Title:

Probability Theory

Course Credits:

3

Course Mode:

In person

Course Days and Time:

M W 1:00 – 2:20 p.m.

Course Room:

Wachman 527

Course Instructor:
Atilla Yilmaz
Instructor Email:
atilla.yilmaz@temple.edu
Instructor Office:

Wachman 612

Instructor Phone:

Office Hours:

TBA (check Canvas)

Course Materials:

"Theory of Probability and Random Processes" by L. B. Koralov and Y. G. Sinai, Springer, 2nd edition, corrected 2nd printing, 2012. It is available at the Temple Library as an e-book.

Course grading scheme:

Homework 20%; first midterm 24%; second midterm 24%; final exam 32%.

Course prerequisites:

You should be comfortable with Advanced Calculus and undergraduate-level Real Analysis. Any previous exposure to undergraduate-level Probability Theory or graduate-level Real Analysis would be helpful, but the course will be self-contained in those regards, i.e., they are not prerequisites.

Course goals:

This course provides a rigorous treatment of probability theory.

Topics covered:

The axioms of probability; random variables and their distributions; expectation and variance; conditional probability and independence; Markov chains; random walks; laws of large numbers; weak convergence of measures; characteristic functions; the central limit theorem; additional topics if time permits. 

Exam dates:

The dates of the two midterms will be announced at least two weeks in advance. The final exam will be during the week officially designated by the University. All exams will be in-class and closed-book.

Attendance policy:

Technology Specifications for this Course:
Course Web Page:

Announcements, exam dates, weekly assignments, etc. will be posted on Canvas.

Make-up Policy:

An excused absence for a midterm or the final exam requires notification in advance, followed by valid documentation. Otherwise, the student will receive “0” for any missed exam.

Attendance and Your Health:

To achieve course learning goals, students must attend and participate in classes, according to the course requirements. However, if you have tested positive for or are experiencing symptoms of a contagious illness, you should not come to campus or attend in-person classes or activities. It is the student’s responsibility to contact me to create a plan for participation and engagement in the course as soon as you are able to do so, and to make a plan to complete all assignments in a timely fashion.

Expectations for Class Conduct:

It is important to foster a respectful and productive learning environment that includes all students in our diverse community of learners. Our differences, some of which are outlined in the University's nondiscrimination statement, will add richness to this learning experience. Therefore, all opinions and experiences, no matter how different or controversial they may be perceived, must be respected in the tolerant spirit of academic discourse. 

Disability Statement:

Any student who has a need for accommodations based on the impact of a documented disability or medical condition should contact Disability Resources and Services (DRS) in Howard Gittis Student Center South, Rm 420 (drs@temple.edu; 215-204-1280) to request accommodations and learn more about the resources available to you. If you have a DRS accommodation letter to share with me, or you would like to discuss your accommodations, please contact me as soon as practical. I will work with you and with DRS to coordinate reasonable accommodations for all students with documented disabilities. All discussions related to your accommodations will be confidential.

Academic Freedom:

Freedom to teach and freedom to learn are inseparable facets of academic freedom. The University has adopted a policy on Student and Faculty Academic Rights and Responsibilities (Policy # 03.70.02) which can be accessed here (opens in new tab/window).

Add/Drop Policy:

Students will be charged for a course unless dropped by the Drop/Add deadline date. Check the University calendar (opens in new tab/window) for exact dates.

 

During the Drop/Add period, students may drop a course with no record of the class appearing on their transcript. Students are not financially responsible for any courses dropped during this period. In the following weeks prior to or on the withdrawal date students may withdraw from a course with the grade of "W" appearing on their transcript. After the withdrawal date students may not withdraw from courses. Check the University Calendar (opens in new tab/window) for exact dates. See the full policy by clicking here (opens in new tab/window).

AI Policy:

The use of generative AI tools (such as ChatGPT, DALL-E, etc.) is not permitted in this class unless specifically announced for a particular assignment; therefore, any use of AI tools for work in this class may be considered a violation of Temple University's Academic Honesty policy and Student Conduct Code, since the work is not your own. The use of unauthorized AI tools will result in a grade of zero on the assignment; a second offense will be reported to the Student Conduct Board.

Incomplete Policy:

The grade "I" (an "incomplete") is only given if students cannot complete the course work due to circumstances beyond their control. It is necessary for the student to have completed the majority of the course work with a passing average and to sign an incomplete contract which clearly states what is left for the student to do and the deadline by which the work must be completed. The incomplete contract must also include a default grade that will be used in case the "I" grade is not resolved by the agreed deadline. See the full policy by clicking here (opens in new tab/window).

Student Support Services:

The following academic support services are available to students (all links open in a new tab/window): 
    The Math Consulting Center 
    Student Success Center 
    University Libraries 
    Undergraduate Research Support 
    Career Center 
    Tuttleman Counseling Services 
    Disability Resources and Services 
If you are experiencing food insecurity or financial struggles, Temple provides resources and support. Notably, the Temple University Cherry Pantry and the Temple University Emergency Student Aid Program are in operation as well as a variety of resources from the Division of Student Affairs.

Year
Semester
Course
Section
Course Extra
Title
Course Web Page
Description

Announcements, exam dates, weekly assignments, etc. will be posted on Canvas.

Title
Make-up Policy
Description

An excused absence for a midterm or the final exam requires notification in advance, followed by valid documentation. Otherwise, the student will receive “0” for any missed exam.

Title
Attendance and Your Health
Description

To achieve course learning goals, students must attend and participate in classes, according to the course requirements. However, if you have tested positive for or are experiencing symptoms of a contagious illness, you should not come to campus or attend in-person classes or activities. It is the student’s responsibility to contact me to create a plan for participation and engagement in the course as soon as you are able to do so, and to make a plan to complete all assignments in a timely fashion.

Title
Expectations for Class Conduct
Description

It is important to foster a respectful and productive learning environment that includes all students in our diverse community of learners. Our differences, some of which are outlined in the University's nondiscrimination statement, will add richness to this learning experience. Therefore, all opinions and experiences, no matter how different or controversial they may be perceived, must be respected in the tolerant spirit of academic discourse. 

Title
Disability Statement
Description

Any student who has a need for accommodations based on the impact of a documented disability or medical condition should contact Disability Resources and Services (DRS) in Howard Gittis Student Center South, Rm 420 (drs@temple.edu; 215-204-1280) to request accommodations and learn more about the resources available to you. If you have a DRS accommodation letter to share with me, or you would like to discuss your accommodations, please contact me as soon as practical. I will work with you and with DRS to coordinate reasonable accommodations for all students with documented disabilities. All discussions related to your accommodations will be confidential.

Title
Academic Freedom
Description

Freedom to teach and freedom to learn are inseparable facets of academic freedom. The University has adopted a policy on Student and Faculty Academic Rights and Responsibilities (Policy # 03.70.02) which can be accessed here (opens in new tab/window).

Title
Add/Drop Policy
Description

Students will be charged for a course unless dropped by the Drop/Add deadline date. Check the University calendar (opens in new tab/window) for exact dates.

 

During the Drop/Add period, students may drop a course with no record of the class appearing on their transcript. Students are not financially responsible for any courses dropped during this period. In the following weeks prior to or on the withdrawal date students may withdraw from a course with the grade of "W" appearing on their transcript. After the withdrawal date students may not withdraw from courses. Check the University Calendar (opens in new tab/window) for exact dates. See the full policy by clicking here (opens in new tab/window).

Title
AI Policy
Description

The use of generative AI tools (such as ChatGPT, DALL-E, etc.) is not permitted in this class unless specifically announced for a particular assignment; therefore, any use of AI tools for work in this class may be considered a violation of Temple University's Academic Honesty policy and Student Conduct Code, since the work is not your own. The use of unauthorized AI tools will result in a grade of zero on the assignment; a second offense will be reported to the Student Conduct Board.

Title
Incomplete Policy
Description

The grade "I" (an "incomplete") is only given if students cannot complete the course work due to circumstances beyond their control. It is necessary for the student to have completed the majority of the course work with a passing average and to sign an incomplete contract which clearly states what is left for the student to do and the deadline by which the work must be completed. The incomplete contract must also include a default grade that will be used in case the "I" grade is not resolved by the agreed deadline. See the full policy by clicking here (opens in new tab/window).

Title
Student Support Services
Description

The following academic support services are available to students (all links open in a new tab/window): 
    The Math Consulting Center 
    Student Success Center 
    University Libraries 
    Undergraduate Research Support 
    Career Center 
    Tuttleman Counseling Services 
    Disability Resources and Services 
If you are experiencing food insecurity or financial struggles, Temple provides resources and support. Notably, the Temple University Cherry Pantry and the Temple University Emergency Student Aid Program are in operation as well as a variety of resources from the Division of Student Affairs.

Course title

Probability Theory

Course credits

3

Course mode

In person

Course Days and Time

M W 1:00 – 2:20 p.m.

Course room

Wachman 527

Your office

Wachman 612

Your office hours

TBA (check Canvas)

Course materials

"Theory of Probability and Random Processes" by L. B. Koralov and Y. G. Sinai, Springer, 2nd edition, corrected 2nd printing, 2012. It is available at the Temple Library as an e-book.

Course grading scheme

Homework 20%; first midterm 24%; second midterm 24%; final exam 32%.

Course prerequisites

You should be comfortable with Advanced Calculus and undergraduate-level Real Analysis. Any previous exposure to undergraduate-level Probability Theory or graduate-level Real Analysis would be helpful, but the course will be self-contained in those regards, i.e., they are not prerequisites.

Course goals

This course provides a rigorous treatment of probability theory.

Description of topics covered

The axioms of probability; random variables and their distributions; expectation and variance; conditional probability and independence; Markov chains; random walks; laws of large numbers; weak convergence of measures; characteristic functions; the central limit theorem; additional topics if time permits. 

Exam dates

The dates of the two midterms will be announced at least two weeks in advance. The final exam will be during the week officially designated by the University. All exams will be in-class and closed-book.

Attendance Policy

Technology Specifications for this Course
Course Instructor
Atilla Yilmaz
Instructor Email
atilla.yilmaz@temple.edu