Continuous models. Continuous time stochastic processes: Poisson process, Markov chains, Renewal process, Brownian motion, including simulation of these processes. Applications to Black-Scholes model, insurance and ruin problems and related topics.
4
UnitsOptional
Grading1, 2
PasstimeNone
Level LimitLetters and science
CollegeDespite the negative reviews, anyone who went to his office hours knows what a nice and helpful guy he is. He answers emails fast, and really wants everyone to succeed. The class was definitely hard and lectures were sometimes confusing, but most of the test questions were doable and the class was heavily curved in the end.
Wow my grade went up from a C to a B+ after the curve, I guess it was alright
Huge curve. ~10 problems a week homework. The prof himself is incomprehensible, but the material is hard regardless of your prof so I wouldn't say this class was the worst. He is a caring guy. He constantly emphasized to us to not worry about our grades, and he was right cause his curve was hefty (since the avgs were 50s-60s).
If you take this professor for pstat-120a, PLEASE GO TO CLAS OH, Tutorial Groups. Bowie is probably the person who saved my grade in this class. Attendance not mandatory but the professor likes when students go, are not super helpful though! Professor curves quite generously but do not rely on just that, he makes this class harder on purpose!
Lecture slides are practically the only resource provided and they cover a lot of theory behind the content, rather than what will actually be asked on the tests. The tests ask students to solve for things no one is introduced to until they self-study the night before. Test averages are morbidly low, so he felt bad and curved. Sweet guy though.
He mumbles through so much of the lectures that it's impossible to understand what's going on and it doesn't help that there's so much information on the slides, a lot of which was confusing to read.