Welcome to Engineering Probability and Statistics Part 1. Throughout your time in this course, you will be given opportunities to check your understanding of course material, as well as engage in quizzes to reflect on all the concepts you have explored within each module. By the end of this part 1 course on engineering probability and statistics, you will have a foundational understanding of the fundamentals of statistics, probability, variables, and types of distributions.

Engineering Probability and Statistics Part 1

Details to know

Add to your LinkedIn profile
17 assignments
See how employees at top companies are mastering in-demand skills

There are 7 modules in this course
Welcome to your first step into the world of statistics! This module isn't just about numbers—it's about discovering how data can help us make smarter decisions, solve problems, and improve processes. While it may not be apparent, statistics impacts everyday life, and it plays a major role in engineering, from predicting trends to optimizing systems. In this module, you'll explore key ideas such as statistical thinking, understanding variability, and distinguishing between populations and samples. You'll also get hands-on experience with exploratory data analysis (EDA), where you'll learn how to collect, summarize, and visualize data to find meaningful patterns and uncover insights. By the end of this module, you'll have a strong foundation in statistical reasoning, setting you up for success in the rest of the course. So, let's get started and see how statistics can help you make sense of the world around you.
What's included
4 videos28 readings4 assignments
4 videos• Total 19 minutes
- Course Introduction• 2 minutes
- Meet Your Faculty• 1 minute
- Numerical Descriptive Statistics• 9 minutes
- Graphical Descriptive Statistics• 7 minutes
28 readings• Total 219 minutes
- Welcome to Engineering Probability and Statistics• 4 minutes
- Engineering Probability & Statistics Part 1 Syllabus• 10 minutes
- Course Communication and Support• 10 minutes
- Academic Integrity• 2 minutes
- What is Statistics?• 5 minutes
- Understanding Variability in Data• 15 minutes
- The Big Picture• 10 minutes
- Exploratory Data Analysis (EDA)• 10 minutes
- What is Data?• 10 minutes
- Why Data and Variables Matter• 8 minutes
- Branches of Statistics• 5 minutes
- Intro to Video: Numerical Descriptive Statistics• 2 minutes
- Measures of Central Tendency• 2 minutes
- The Mean• 6 minutes
- The Median• 5 minutes
- The Mode• 3 minutes
- Measures of Variability• 15 minutes
- Example: Fuel Economy• 15 minutes
- Example: Student Exam Scores• 15 minutes
- Quartiles and Percentiles• 5 minutes
- Intro to Video: Graphical Descriptive Statistics• 2 minutes
- Stem-and-Leaf Displays• 20 minutes
- Dot Plots• 5 minutes
- The Histogram• 10 minutes
- Histogram for Discrete Numerical Data• 5 minutes
- Histogram for Continuous Numerical Data• 5 minutes
- Histogram for Qualitative Data• 10 minutes
- Box Plots• 5 minutes
4 assignments• Total 120 minutes
- Assess Your Learning: Statistics and Their Applications• 30 minutes
- Assess Your Learning: Understanding Data, Variables, and Types of Data• 30 minutes
- Assess Your Learning: Numerical Descriptive Statistics• 30 minutes
- Assess Your Learning: Graphical Descriptive Statistics• 30 minutes
Probability is all about understanding uncertainty and making informed decisions. Every day, we encounter situations where the result is unknown—whether it’s predicting the weather or playing a game of chance. In this module, you will learn the basics of probability, including how to define experiments, sample spaces, and events. You will also learn the difference between simple and compound events. A few key rules help us calculate and understand probabilities effectively. You will learn how to apply the complement, addition, and multiplication rules to calculate the likelihood of different events. We will also discuss conditional probability and independence so you can determine if events are related or completely independent. Counting principles such as permutations and combinations will also help you determine the number of possible outcomes in various scenarios. Finally, we’ll introduce Bayes’ Theorem, which is a powerful tool for updating probabilities as new information becomes available. By the end of this module, you will be able to define probability concepts, apply key probability rules, analyze conditional probability, use counting principles, and apply Bayes' Theorem to make data-driven decisions.
What's included
2 videos16 readings2 assignments
2 videos• Total 16 minutes
- Conditional Probability• 7 minutes
- Bayes’ Theorem• 9 minutes
16 readings• Total 144 minutes
- Random Experiment Types• 5 minutes
- Sample Spaces• 5 minutes
- What is an Event?• 5 minutes
- Fundamental Event Operations• 10 minutes
- Example: Gas Station Pumps• 10 minutes
- Probability• 15 minutes
- Example: Inter-School Trivia Competition• 15 minutes
- Understanding the Product Rule for Ordered Pairs• 10 minutes
- Counting Techniques : How Many Ways Can Something Happen?• 10 minutes
- Example: Film Festival Options• 15 minutes
- Intro to Video: Conditional Probability• 2 minutes
- Intro to Video: Bayes’ Theorem• 2 minutes
- The Law of Total Probability• 10 minutes
- Bayes’ Theorem: Tabular Approach• 10 minutes
- Tabular Approach (Cont.)• 5 minutes
- Steps to Bayes' Theorem Tabular Approach• 15 minutes
2 assignments• Total 60 minutes
- Assess Your Learning: Experiments, Sample Space, Events, and Probability• 30 minutes
- Assess Your Learning: Conditional Probability and Bayes’ Theorem• 30 minutes
In this module, we’ll cover some of the most fundamental concepts in statistics: random variables and probability distributions. These concepts enable us to mathematically model previously discussed probability-based scenarios. Specifically, you’ll learn how random variables act like the link between probability theory and analytics. We’ll also take a look at the difference between discrete and continuous random variables and examine some types of probability distributions.
What's included
6 readings2 assignments
6 readings• Total 16 minutes
- Discrete Random Variables• 3 minutes
- Discrete Probability Distributions• 3 minutes
- Expected Values, Variances, and Standard Deviations• 3 minutes
- Example: Car Wash• 2 minutes
- Cumulative Distribution Functions• 3 minutes
- Visualizing the Cumulative Distribution Function• 2 minutes
2 assignments• Total 16 minutes
- Assess Your Learning: Random Variables• 10 minutes
- Assess Your Learning: Cumulative Distribution Functions• 6 minutes
In this module, we’ll explore some important discrete probability distributions that help us model real-world randomness. These distributions provide a structured way to analyze uncertainty in everyday scenarios, from predicting defective products in manufacturing to estimating customer arrivals at a service center. We’ll cover the Binomial, Negative Binomial, Hypergeometric, and Poisson distributions. You'll learn how to choose the right distribution for the right scenario, model complex situations, and understand the fascinating Poisson process, which governs time-dependent events such as traffic flow and server requests. By the end of this module, you'll be equipped with the skills to analyze, model, and interpret discrete probability distributions, turning theoretical concepts into practical insights!
What's included
4 videos14 readings2 assignments
4 videos• Total 30 minutes
- The Binomial Distribution• 7 minutes
- The Hypergeometric Distribution• 6 minutes
- The Negative Binomial Distribution• 8 minutes
- The Poisson Distribution• 9 minutes
14 readings• Total 193 minutes
- Intro to Video: The Binomial Distribution• 2 minutes
- Binomial Distribution in Action• 15 minutes
- Binomial Distribution Applications• 30 minutes
- Intro to Video: The Hypergeometric Distribution• 2 minutes
- Hypergeometric and Binomial Distributions Relationship• 10 minutes
- Hypergeometric Distribution Case Study• 30 minutes
- Estimating an Unknown Population Size• 10 minutes
- Intro to Video: The Negative Binomial Distribution• 2 minutes
- Negative Binomial Distribution Applications• 25 minutes
- Intro to Video: The Poisson Distribution• 2 minutes
- Poisson Distribution in Practice• 20 minutes
- The Poisson Process• 20 minutes
- Binomial Approximation to Poisson Distribution• 15 minutes
- Comparing Various Discrete Distributions• 10 minutes
2 assignments• Total 60 minutes
- Assess Your Learning: Binomial, Hypergeometric, and Negative Binomial Distributions• 30 minutes
- Assess Your Learning: The Poisson Distribution• 30 minutes
In this module, we’ll learn about another type of random variable, continuous random variables. Based on this different type of random variable, we will be defining new types of probability distributions. We will explore the types of continuous random variables, probability distribution functions for continuous random variables, and then the uniform, normal, and lognormal distributions. By the end of this module, you'll be equipped with the skills to analyze, model, and interpret continuous variables and probability distributions, turning theoretical concepts into practical insights.
What's included
1 video14 readings2 assignments
1 video• Total 8 minutes
- Normal Distribution• 8 minutes
14 readings• Total 177 minutes
- What are Continuous Random Variables?• 10 minutes
- Calculating Continuous Probability Distributions• 20 minutes
- Calculating the Cumulative Distribution Function• 15 minutes
- Expected Value of Continuous Random Variable• 5 minutes
- Variance for Continuous Random Variables• 15 minutes
- Continuous Uniform Distribution• 15 minutes
- What is Normal Distribution?• 10 minutes
- Intro to Video: Normal Distribution• 2 minutes
- Standard Normal Distribution• 20 minutes
- Interpretation of the Z-Table• 20 minutes
- Normal Distribution to Binomial• 10 minutes
- Continuity Correction in Binomial Approximation• 10 minutes
- The Lognormal Distribution• 10 minutes
- The Mean and Variance of Lognormal Random Variables• 15 minutes
2 assignments• Total 60 minutes
- Assess Your Learning: Continuous Random Variables• 30 minutes
- Assess Your Learning: The Normal Distribution• 30 minutes
In this module, we dive deeper into continuous probability distributions. You will explore the connections between the exponential and Poisson distributions in modeling event timing and how the gamma and Weibull distributions help analyze system reliability and failure rates. You'll also be introduced to the beta distribution, a flexible tool for modeling uncertainty in bounded processes. By the end of this module, you’ll be able to select and apply the right distribution for real-world problems, interpret key parameters, and understand their practical implications.
What's included
3 videos14 readings3 assignments
3 videos• Total 19 minutes
- The Exponential Distribution• 6 minutes
- Beta and Gamma Distribution• 7 minutes
- The Weibull Distribution• 7 minutes
14 readings• Total 137 minutes
- Intro to video: The Exponential Distribution• 2 minutes
- Exponential Distribution• 5 minutes
- Relationship With Poisson Process• 6 minutes
- The Memoryless Property• 15 minutes
- Intro to Video: The Beta and Gamma Distribution• 2 minutes
- The Gamma Distribution• 10 minutes
- Reading the Incomplete Gamma Function Table• 15 minutes
- When to Use the Gamma Distribution• 5 minutes
- Examples of the Gamma Distribution• 10 minutes
- The Beta Distribution• 20 minutes
- Example: Estimating a Player’s Free-Throw Accuracy• 15 minutes
- Intro to Video: The Weibull Distribution• 2 minutes
- The Weibull Distribution• 20 minutes
- Example: Battery Cycle Life (Weibull)• 10 minutes
3 assignments• Total 90 minutes
- Assess Your learning: Exponential Distribution• 30 minutes
- Assess Your Learning: The Beta and Gamma Distributions• 30 minutes
- Assess Your Learning: The Weibull Distribution• 30 minutes
In this module, we explore joint probability distributions—a powerful framework for analyzing how multiple random variables interact and relate to one another. You will learn how to model and interpret relationships between two random variables, whether they are continuous or discrete. We will begin by establishing the foundational concepts of joint probability distributions and examine how they capture the simultaneous behavior of random variables. You will learn to extract meaningful insights through marginal and conditional distributions, allowing you to understand both the individual behavior of variables and how they behave when other variables are fixed. Finally, we will investigate the critical concepts of covariance and correlation, developing your ability to quantify dependency relationships between random variables and determine whether they move together, in opposition, or independently. By the end of this module, you will have the analytical tools necessary to examine complex probabilistic systems involving two interrelated variables—an essential skill for advanced statistical modeling and data analysis.
What's included
1 video16 readings2 assignments
1 video• Total 11 minutes
- Discrete Joint Probability Distribution• 11 minutes
16 readings• Total 175 minutes
- Introduction to Discrete Joint Probability Distribution• 15 minutes
- Example: Tech Nest• 10 minutes
- Marginal Distributions for Discrete Random Variables• 15 minutes
- Intro to Video: Discrete Joint Probability Distribution• 2 minutes
- Continuous Joint Probability Distributions• 5 minutes
- Example: Airport Security Lanes• 6 minutes
- Marginal Probability• 15 minutes
- Independent Random Variables• 10 minutes
- Conditional Distributions• 15 minutes
- Expected Values for Joint Random Variables• 10 minutes
- Solved Example: Alex's Gadget Shop• 10 minutes
- Solved Example: Concert Seat Separation• 15 minutes
- Covariance of Joint Random Variables• 10 minutes
- Solved Example for Covariance of Joint Random Variables• 25 minutes
- Correlation Between Two Variables• 10 minutes
- Congratulations!• 2 minutes
2 assignments• Total 60 minutes
- Assess Your Learning: Discrete and Continuous Joint Probability• 30 minutes
- Assess Your Learning: Relationships Between Random Variables• 30 minutes
Instructor

Offered by

Offered by

Founded in 1898, Northeastern is a global research university with a distinctive, experience-driven approach to education and discovery. The university is a leader in experiential learning, powered by the world’s most far-reaching cooperative education program. The spirit of collaboration guides a use-inspired research enterprise focused on solving global challenges in health, security, and sustainability.
Why people choose Coursera for their career

Felipe M.

Jennifer J.

Larry W.

Chaitanya A.
Explore more from Data Science
NNortheastern University
Course
JJohns Hopkins University
Course
NNortheastern University
Course
BBirla Institute of Technology & Science, Pilani
Course