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\centerline{MONT 106N -- Identifying Patterns}
\centerline{Discussion Day 2}
\centerline{October 2, 2009}
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\noindent
{\it Stephanie Craig and Nick Foster}
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In class on October 2, 2009, you will be responsible for
about 20 minutes of the class period, during which we will
discuss the article ``Some Funds Stop Grading on the Curve"
Wall Street Journal, published
on September 8, 2009.  You can assume everyone will read the article
before class -- the information how to get it is posted on 
the course homepage.  So you don't need to spend a lot of time
summarizing what it says.  Instead, come up with several
good questions that you can use to start the discussion, and 
then be prepared to "moderate" (maybe answer some
questions if people have not understood some point, 
call on people who have something to say, and so
forth).

Some suggestions:  Try to focus about half of
the time on discussing the technical points:  How are ideal histograms
like the normal curve used to model possible returns from 
investments?  How has that often been done in the past? Just what is a ``fat tail
distribution'' and how does it differ from our standard normal
curve?  Then, open things up and ask:  what are the real-world
implications of using different assessments of investment risk?
What is at stake?  What should a non-expert know about stuff like
this to be well-informed?

I found this by looking at a listing in \emph{Chance News 54} -- 
see link to this on the course homepage.  You can also
get to the original version of the article from there. You 
will see discussion of the issues in Chance News that may give you a 
few ideas of how to get a discussion started.  And of course, 
you can talk things over with me before class too.
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