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The Numbers Behind NUMB3RS: Solving Crime with Mathematics
The companion to the hit CBS crime series Numb3rs presents the fascinating way mathematics is used to fight real-life crime
Using the popular CBS prime-time TV crime series Numb3rs as a springboard, Keith Devlin (known to millions of NPR listeners as ?the Math Guy? on NPR?s Weekend Edition with Scott Simon) and Gary Lorden (the principal math advisor to Numb3rs) explain re...more
Using the popular CBS prime-time TV crime series Numb3rs as a springboard, Keith Devlin (known to millions of NPR listeners as ?the Math Guy? on NPR?s Weekend Edition with Scott Simon) and Gary Lorden (the principal math advisor to Numb3rs) explain re...more
Paperback, 244 pages
Published
August 28th 2007
by Plume
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If you loved the hit TV show Numb3rs but ever wondered if it was really possible to use math like that then this is a must read.
This is Suprisingly readable book that anyone with a highschool understanding of mathmatics should be able to follow. I have an A.A. degree with a major in writing and I understood it.
The authors use real life examples of when math was used to crack open an investigation as well as elaborate on the techiques used in the Television show.
This is Suprisingly readable book that anyone with a highschool understanding of mathmatics should be able to follow. I have an A.A. degree with a major in writing and I understood it.
The authors use real life examples of when math was used to crack open an investigation as well as elaborate on the techiques used in the Television show.
The Numbers Behind NUMB3RS was a fascinating look at how mathematics is used in criminology every day and it's applications towards crime and criminal profiling is just amazing. It was enlightening to learn that several of the television shows episodes were based on real life criminal cases and situations.
The book was somewhat dry in its presentation of the material. If fact, it seemed almost textbook like in the approach. That being said, I found the subject matter and content of the book rich...more
The book was somewhat dry in its presentation of the material. If fact, it seemed almost textbook like in the approach. That being said, I found the subject matter and content of the book rich...more
This is a fascinating look at how math is used in crime-fighting. The authors do an excellent job of highlighting the multitude of ways that math is used through many aspects and instances in police work.
Don't let the title full you... this is not written specifically for a die-hard fan of the TV show, NUMB3ERS. I've seen a total of one episode of the show, but loved this book nevertheless. The appendix does contain a very brief synopsis of each episode of the first three seasons. For me, these...more
Don't let the title full you... this is not written specifically for a die-hard fan of the TV show, NUMB3ERS. I've seen a total of one episode of the show, but loved this book nevertheless. The appendix does contain a very brief synopsis of each episode of the first three seasons. For me, these...more
The book is very informative and I give a lot of credit to the authors for their efforts to communicate the main highlights of subjects such as Prime Number Factorization, Bayesian Statistical Analysis, Fourier Transforms, and other neat math topics more or less accesible to laypersons - or at least the followers of the CBS' series Numb3rs.
The organization of the book and the flow could use some improvement, but all in all it is a good resource for people with enough curiosity to find out more a...more
The organization of the book and the flow could use some improvement, but all in all it is a good resource for people with enough curiosity to find out more a...more
As someone who's a scientist but doesn't care much for math, I didn't expect I'd enjoy this book very much, but I was pleasantly surprised. It didn't just cover pure mathematical analysis of crimes, but math applied to other aspects of criminal justice. For example, it discusses the math behind fingerprint analysis, and does the most beautifully clear job I've ever seen of explaining the difference between "random match probability" and "database match probability" in the field of forensic DNA a...more
It reveals the accuracy of the math used in the tv show "Numb3rs," as well as the inaccuracies in the portrayal of it upon occasion. Fascinating read for anyone who enjoys this television show, math or ideally, both.
Very hard core math ... not easy reading, but a fascinating book and the fact that they reference the episode is pretty awesome too. I enjoyed it, but again, it helped that I was a math major.
Oct 17, 2009
Susan
added it
This book was fascinating. I can't say I understand all of the mathematical formulas but I do understand why the authors include them. The true life cases and fingerprinting analysis is interesting. They say that no 2 fingerprints are alike but this book says thats not the case. The poker chapter was interesting for those who are avid poker players.
I became addicted to the television series "Numb3rs" a few months ago. I watched every episode and was interested in learning more about the techniques Charley Epps uses to help is FBI brother solve crimes.
Although the technical aspects of the mathmatics are over my head I found the book's explanation of how these techniques are used on the show and in real life fascinating.
Some of these things apply to everyday life and I thought they would help with some of my research and writing.
If you ar...more
Although the technical aspects of the mathmatics are over my head I found the book's explanation of how these techniques are used on the show and in real life fascinating.
Some of these things apply to everyday life and I thought they would help with some of my research and writing.
If you ar...more
Great story (ok, if you like math) - lots of tales of how math is used to solve real-world crimes.
Aug 18, 2012
Ivy Zheng
marked it as to-read
I love the show. It's very good and talk about a lot of MATH!!!!!! Math is not my favorite subject but I just loved the show!!!11:)
I just can't wait to read the book!!!!!!!
I just can't wait to read the book!!!!!!!
Talks about the math theories used in Numb3rs. Interesting, but not revealing.
The goal of the book is to explain, in layman's terms, the general mathematical concepts Charlie uses on the show. And it does that well. I'm a person who gets science and most math, but I think the book is approachable to anyone. For those with a higher level of mathematical understanding, it will be a "fluff" book, but it can still be useful as an inspiration to study a more specific topic from much more detailed books.
I call this book my "field trip" book, because most of the reading I've done on it has been during a field trip. (Yes, I'm not original. Get over it.) So far, I've learned a lot about data mining and the different ways they use math. It's been muy interesante... And it just requires a little effort to understand the math.
The book was a disappointment. Perhaps if you are a fan of the television show you will like it more than I did. The stories were brief and uninspired; basically they were just summaries of television shows with incomplete explanations of the mathematics.
I got a lot out of about half of this book. Math has never been my strong suit, but I found I was able to follow approximately half of the math discussions. The other half seemed to be at a much higher level and I wasn't able to keep up.
layman's intro to the mathematics depicted in numb3rs episodes, as well as how math has been used in actual crime investigations (several of which inspired episodes). fairly well written and interesting, but I'm the wrong audience.
Apr 14, 2009
Elaine
marked it as to-finish-reading
Well, I decided to finally just return this books as I wasn't getting very far. I only had a small fine on it though, which was a relief. I guess I'll just have to check it out again when I have more reading time.
It didn't have as much math as I would have like, but it was an interesting description of some general mathematical concepts.
One thing I learned from this book is that casinos are truly evil. Cheating bastards...
One thing I learned from this book is that casinos are truly evil. Cheating bastards...
I recommend this to anyone who enjoys reading about very practical applications of mathematics, or who has never read such a book. You don't even need to know the TV show, or be a fan of it.
A nice little (sometimes semi-in-depth, sometimes elementary) look at some of the math techniques used on the crime show Numb3rs. 3.5 stars.
The maths was often beyond my capacities, but I enjoyed the explanations.
I liked this book more then the actual show.
Jan 02, 2008
Mandy
marked it as to-read
i absolutely love the show.
I really enjoyed this book even if it was a bit like a textbook. I'm a fan of the show so it was a lot of fun to see how much of it is derived from real life criminology.
May 08, 2013
The Searcher
marked it as to-read
May 06, 2013
Toomas Remmelg
added it
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Dr. Keith Devlin is a co-founder and Executive Director of the university's H-STAR institute, a Consulting Professor in the Department of Mathematics, a co-founder of the Stanford Media X research network, and a Senior Researcher at CSLI. He is a World Economic Forum Fellow and a Fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science. His current research is focused on the use of differ...more
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