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MATH 524
Probability Theory

Faculty Faculty of Engineering and Natural Sciences
Semester Fall 2026-2027
Course MATH 524 - Probability Theory
Time/Place
Time
Week Day
Place
Date
09:40-11:30
Tue
FENS-L067
Sep 28-Dec 31, 2026
09:40-10:30
Thu
FENS-L067
Sep 28-Dec 31, 2026
Level of course Masters
Course Credits SU Credit:3, ECTS:10
Prerequisites -
Corequisites -
Course Type Lecture

Instructor(s) Information

Turgay Bayraktar

Course Information

Catalog Course Description
Semi-algebras and sigma-algebras of events, Kolmogorov?s axioms of probability, consequences thereof, probability spaces, measurability, random variables as measurable mappings, random vectors, probability measures induced on Borel sigma-algebras by random vectors, distributions and distribution functions, extension of probability measure starting by semi-algebras, mathematical expectation, expected values of non-negative simple, non-negative and general random variables, properties, conditional distributions and independence, Borel-Cantelli lemma, conditional expectation given a sub sigma-algebra, Radon-Nikodym theorem, different modes of convergence, almost sure convergence, convergence in probability, convergence in L^p, convergence in distribution, different implications between them, characteristic functions, inversion formulas, relation to convergence concepts, the weak and the strong law of large numbers, central limit theorem.
Learning Outcomes:
1. Formulate the axiomatic foundations of probability, including the construction of probability spaces, ?-algebras of events, and probability measures, and explain the consequences of Kolmogorov?s axioms.
2. Define and analyze random variables and random vectors as measurable mappings, and describe the probability measures and distribution functions they induce on Borel ?-algebras.
3. Compute and interpret expectations of random variables, including non-negative and general random variables, and apply key results such as the Radon?Nikodym theorem in probabilistic contexts.
4. Analyze dependence structures in probability spaces by working with conditional distributions, independence, and conditional expectation with respect to a sub-?-algebra.
5. Distinguish between different modes of convergence of random variables (almost sure, in probability, in L^p and in distribution) and understand the implications between them.
6. Apply characteristic functions and limit theorems, including the Borel?Cantelli lemma, the weak and strong laws of large numbers, and the central limit theorem, to study asymptotic behavior of random variables.
Course Objective
-

Course Materials

Resources:
1. Patrick Billingsley, Probability and Measure,
Volume 245 of the Wiley Series in Probability and Statistics, 3rd ed.
2. Erhan Çınlar, Probability and Stochastics, Volume 261 of Graduate Texts in Mathematics, Springer.
Technology Requirements:
N/A

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