The Numbers Behind NUMB3RS: Solving Crime with Mathematics

I watch the show when I have the chance. Someone gave it to me as a Christmas gift and to be honest I really wasn't going to read it but I was on vacation and bored. Imagine my surprise when I couldn't put it down. It explains the math techniques used by law enforcement agencies to catch criminals. It's written in a matter of fact way and doesn't get bogged down with math theory. It shows how math can be applied to real life. As an elementary math teacher, I use the show to get my students excited about math...that yes, in fact we do use math everyday without realizing it. It makes it real for my students and the majority of my students love math as much as I do. I'd like to point out that this method doesn't solve crimes but it just points you in the direction of possible suspects. Only a confession or evidence can convict..a person of a crime. I would definitely recommend the book.

I purchased this book to go with the Numb3rs DVD season one I had purchased as a gift. It describes in detail the algorithms used in the show for solving those particular crimes. A Great companion book !

This book is an excellent resource to help show the successes and failures of applied mathematics in forensic science. I plan to use this book as a resource to show students that mathematics has a very practical side.

Books on mathematics that are aimed at the general reader can often contain ideas that may be difficult to grasp for some - especially books that flirt with advanced mathematics. Not this book. Here, the authors do an absolutely excellent job in explaining potentially difficult mathematical concepts in down-to-earth terms and using them in the real world, i.e., in this case, solving crimes. Various episodes of the TV series NUMB3RS often serve as introductions to some of these concepts; these episodes also serve as great practical examples as to how these concepts can be used. The writing style is quite authoritative but very friendly, accessible and engaging. Analogies are used throughout in order to help drive home difficult points. This excellent book will likely be of interest not only to math and science buffs, but also to anyone who is curious about the use of advanced mathematics is solving crimes.

Well written, interesting, and informative - this book provides a good balance between education and entertainment. By explaining the concepts behind the episodes of the television series Numb3rs, it spurs the reader to further exploration of the wonderous world of mathematics.