Math Plus Crime, TV Style

Lately, more than 12 million people have been tuning in every Friday night to see the latest episode of the CBS TV series “Numb3rs.” The show debuted a year ago and now regularly ranks in the top third of all TV programs in the weekly ratings.

© Texas Instruments. © Paramount Pictures

That’s quite a triumph for a crime series that features a mathematician as its superhero, incorporates genuine mathematical vocabulary, and displays the varied trappings of a mathematical life.