Can math really solve crimes?
February 5, 2005
At lot of people who have watched "Numb3rs" have expressed disbelief that Charlie could actually predict, say, the probable location of a bank robbery, just knowing where previous ones have taken place. In fact, some mathematicians I know (more acquainted, perhaps, with "pure" or highly abstract math) have expressed the same doubts. Well, in fact, the first two episodes of Numb3ers are actually based on real-life cases where mathematicians have done just that. Although no statistical prediction is a certainty (think Red Sox down 3 games to none to the Yankees), the mathematics of probability can often make surprisingly dependable guesses. For a further discussion, see the column by the mathematician Keith Devlin:
http://www.maa.org/devlin/devlin_02_05.html
(This site is sponsored by the MAA or Mathematical Association of America, a highly respected professional society of mathematicians.) Keith Devlin not only knows his math, but has inside information on the show itself. Check it out.
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