Computer Simulation of Complex Systems

STAT 340, Spring 2013

Instructor
Lecture Time/Room

Ali Ghodsi
Section 1: 08:30-09:50TTh MC 1085
Section 2: 01:00-02:20TTh DC 1351
Tutorial : 02:30-03:20M M3 1006

Textbook
There is no required textbook for the class. Recommended book that cover the similar
material is:
Simulation by Sheldon M. Ross
We will also be covering material similar to a variety of chapters from a few other
books which I will point out in class.

Prerequisite
(One of CS 116, 126/124, 134, 136, 138, 145, SYDE 221/322) and (STAT 230 with a
grade of at least 60% or STAT 240) and (STAT 231 or 241)

Antirequisite
CM 361/STAT 341, CS 437, 457

Computation
Computing parts of the course and assignments will be done in Matlab, but prior
knowledge of Matlab is not essential.

Course Website
We will use Learn mostly for announcements,and assignments . For other course
related material (e.g. lectures) see wikicoursenote.com. Please log on frequently.
You are responsible for being aware of all STAT 340 material, annoncement, and
information found on Learn and wikicoursenote throughout the semester.

Email
We will only respond to class email if it is sent to uwstat340 [at sign] gmail.com.
Please do NOT send the instructor or tutors email about the class directly to their
personal accounts. In order to ensure that we do not breach your privacy, we will
only respond to queries relating to your standing in the course or your grades which
are sent from your@waterloo.ca email address.
1

Tentative Marking Scheme

30% Assignments
10% Wikicoursenote (The details will be discussed in the first class)
20% Midterm exam
40% Final exam

Note
A passing mark must be achieved on the final exam in order to receive a pass
on the course.
Final exam will be closed book but non-programmable calculators are allowed.
Marking scheme, dates, and topics are tentative and subject to change.

wikicoursenote.com
Please create your account no later than Sunday May 12. You can request an account by following this URL: http://www.wikicoursenote.com/wiki/Special:RequestAccount
Your username in wikicoursenote should be the same as your UW username.
i.e. my username in wikicoursenote is aghodsib.
Your contributions in Wikicoursenote worth 10% of your final mark. This consists of primary contribution and s general contribution.
You will be primary contributor of only one lecture but general contributor of
50% of lectures.
As a primary contributor you are responsible to post the lecture note on wikicoursenote no later than 48 hours after the lecture. Do not try to copy everything on the blackboard and slides; instead translate the information into your
own words.
As a general contributor you are responsible to make contributions no later than
2 weeks after the lecture. Make improvements to the notes for at least 50% of
the lectures. More than half of your contributions should be technical rather
than editorial.
Record your contributions through the link that is posted on Learn.
Although wikoursenotes history records the details of your contributions, your
wikicoursenote contribution mark will be calculated based on your claim. Your
claim, however, will be compared to wikicoursenotes history on a random basis.
Mismatch between wikicoursenotes history and your claim of contribution may
cause a failing mark in the course.

DO NOT SUBMIT COPYRIGHTED WORK WITHOUT PERMISSION! If you

use ideas, plots, text, code and other intellectual property developed by someone else
in your wikicoursenote contribution or in your assignments, you have to cite the
original source. If you copy a sentence or a paragraph from work done by someone
else, in addition to citing the original source you have to use quotation marks to
identify the scope of the copied material. Evidence of copying or plagiarism will
cause a failing mark in the course.

Note for Students with Disabilities

The Office for Persons with Disabilities (OPD), located in Needles hall, Room 1132,
collaborates with all academic departments to arrange appropriate accommodations
for students with disabilities without compromising the academic integrity of the
curriculum. If you require academic accommodations to lessen the impact of your
disability, please register with the OPD at the beginning of each academic term.

Tentative Topics
Random variable and stochastic process generation
Discrete-Event Systems
Variance reduction
Markov Chain Monte carlo