“You may have seen hundreds of episodes of The Simpsons (and its sister program Futurama) without ever understanding that subtle mathematical references, ranging from well-known equations to cutting-edge theorems and conjectures, are subtly woven into many of the stories. Simon Singh demonstrates that the series’ writers, who have advanced degrees in mathematics in addition to their unmatched sense of comedy, are brilliant, which only highlights the show’s existence.
Singh interweaves mathematical tales that cover a variety of topics, including p to Mersenne primes, Euler’s equation to the unsolved puzzle of P v. NP, perfect numbers to narcissistic numbers, infinity to even bigger infinities, and much more while reliving classic episodes like “Bart the Genius” and “Homer 3.” Singh encounters members of The Simpsons’ talented writing staff along the road, including David X. Cohen, Al Jean, Jeff Westbrook, and Mike Reiss, whose enthusiasm for obscure mathematics is evident as they discuss the backstories of the episodes.
The Simpsons and Their Mathematical Secrets presents a completely new perspective on the most popular program in television history with humor and clarity, showing the fervor of a true fan, and being replete with images from the shows, pictures of the writers, diagrams, and proofs.”
