Spectral analysis - properties and smoothing The method of presenting the course has changed with the introduction of Genstat 5. The workstation environment can display separate windows for console, Genstat text, Genstat graphics and editor, and enables an extended mode of working. A command file can be alternately edited and run. The Lancaster course uses the time series facilities, and the fact that procedures can be written as standard commands. Students are given a four hour introductory course in the use of the package.
Students get a feel of time series from the lab sessions.
They can try changing parameters, transforming data etc. Only a small number of student take the course - there are 8 final year undergraduates and four Ph.D students. The course is now to be reduced to five weeks and will cover time domain only, with an optional follow up in the frequency domain. It is possible to compensate for the loss of the Box Jenkins modelling facility by using the Fuller test. This uses simple regressions to make a stationary series, and is a useful tool for students to use.