Statistics 533
Reliability
Department of Statistics, Iowa State University


This page is always under construction!

Click here to see the Statistics 533 syllabus.

Click here for information on the Statistics 533 text book.

Click here for information survival analysis books and a few other references.

There are a number of students in our class with interests in applications in the biomedical sciences. As mentioned in class, there is a close connection between the statistical methods used in this course and those used in the bio-medical sciences, where the subject is known as "survival analysis." Nonparametric methods seem to be favored in this area. The reasons for this are, perhaps, that there is often more data and less need to extrapolate. Many reliability applications require extrapolation in one dimension or another and thus the need for parametric models, often based on knowledge of the physical/chemical mechanisms underlying failure.

Click here for information on SPLIDA (S-Plus functions for Life Data Analysis).

Click here for instructions on how to use SPLIDA in the Snedecor Hall PC Labs .

Many of the course handouts are provided on-line in pdf format. Please make sure that you have the 4.x (or later) version of Acrobat Reader. the latest version is available for free download from Adobe . Older versions of Acrobat Reader may not view or print correctly.

Click to see and/or print the six-to-a-page "psnup" slide material:

These "psnups" are useful as as an outline of the Meeker and Escobar text and as student notes for a course based on this book. Click here to see restrictions on copying.

I recommend that students print these out only as we approach the respective chapters during the semester. This is because I expect to be updating some of the chapters during the semester, usually about two weeks before they are needed in the class. The changes will not be extensive, but could affect the page numbering. Also, not all chapters are covered in the course. See the Statistics 533 syllabus for a listing of the chapters that are covered.

Full-sized Slides.

It is also possible view or print copies of the full-sized slides (mostly useful for the instructor, but can also be used to get a better view of some of the figures). Click here to access the full-size slides.

Click to see and/or print some old Statistics 533 exams:

Click here to see some old exam solutions.

Click here to see the Statistics 533 important dates.

These dates are for the on-campus class. Off-campus students will run about one week behind. Assignments will generally be due one week following the day that the assignment is supposed to be received.

Click here to see the Statistics 533 the assignment policy.

Click here to see the Statistics 533 project information.

Click here to see the Statistics 533 the grading policy.

IMPORTANT NEWS: Any corrections and updates for Statistics 533 students will be posted here. Please inform me as soon as possible if you detect any inconsistencies or other errors in text, lecture notes or the assignments.

Some links to other sites with information about reliability.

Students with disabilities
Please address any special needs or special accommodations with me at the beginning of the semester or as soon as you become aware of your needs. Those seeking accommodations based on disabilities should obtain a Student Academic Accommodation Request (SAAR) form from the Disability Resources (DR) office (515-294-6624). DR is located on the main floor of the Student Services Building, Room 1076.
Send electronic mail to W. Q. Meeker at wqmeeker@iastate.edu

Click here to go to W.Q. Meeker's homepage.