15-259/559 Probability and Computing (PnC)
12 Units, SPRING 2025

Where probability meets chocolate!
Probability theory has become indispensable in computer science:

It is at the core of artificial intelligence and machine learning, where one often needs to make decisions under stochastic uncertainty. It is also integral to computer science theory, where probabilistic analysis and ideas based on randomization appear in many algorithms. It is a central part of performance modeling in computer networks and systems, where probability is used to predict delays, schedule resources, and provision capacity.

This course gives an introduction to probability as it is used in computer science theory and practice,
drawing on applications and current research developments as motivation and context.

TEXTBOOK FOR CLASS

The course notes for the class have now been published by Cambridge University Press 2024.
We will be covering Chapters 1-17 of this textbook.

Discrete & Continuous Probability Probability on Events. Discrete and Continuous Random Variables. Conditioning and Bayes. Higher Moments. Laplace transforms and z-transforms. Gaussians and Central Limit Theorem. Tails and Stochastic dominance. Systems Modeling Heavy-tailed distributions. Poisson processes. Simulation of random variables. Event-driven simulations Statistics Estimators for mean and variance. Maximum likelihood estimation (MLE). MAP estimation. Bayesian statistical inference. Confidence intervals.

If you like this class, consider taking the follow-on class with the same textbook: 15-359 PnC II.
That class covers Chapters 18-27: Chernoff bounds, Hoeffding Bounds, Balls-and-Bins Problems,
Hashing, Randomized Algorithms, Discrete-Time Markov Chains, Ergodicity Theory.

CLASS/RECITATION TIMES:

• Lectures: TUESDAY and THURSDAY 12:30 pm - 1:50 pm, GHC 4307

• Recitations:

  • FRIDAY 9:00 am - 9:50 am, GHC 4211, TAs: TBD
  • FRIDAY 1:00 pm - 1:50 pm, GHC 4211, TAs: TBD
  • FRIDAY 2:00 pm - 2:50 pm, GHC 4211, TAs: TBD
  • FRIDAY 1:00 pm - 1:50 pm, WEH 5421, TAs: TBD
  • FRIDAY 3:00 pm - 3:50 pm, WEH 4709, TAs: TBD

PROFESSORS:

Mor Harchol-Balter harchol@cs.cmu.edu OH: Wed 5:30 - 7:00 pm, GHC 7207

Weina Wang weinaw@cs.cmu.edu OH: TBD

TAs: TBD

SPONSOR: