num_pages: 253
description: You may have watched hundreds of episodes of The Simpsons (and its sister show Futurama ) without ever realizing that cleverly embedded in many plots are subtle references to mathematics ranging from well-known equations to cutting-edge theorems and conjectures. That they exist Simon Singh reveals underscores the brilliance of the shows' writers many of whom have advanced degrees in mathematics in addition to their unparalleled sense of humor.While recounting memorable episodes such as Bart the Genius and Homer3 Singh weaves in mathematical stories that explore everything from p to Mersenne primes Euler's equation to the unsolved riddle of P v. NP; from perfect numbers to narcissistic numbers infinity to even bigger infinities and much more. Along the way Singh meets members of The Simpsons ' brilliant writing team-among them David X. Cohen Al Jean Jeff Westbrook and Mike Reiss-whose love of arcane mathematics becomes clear as they reveal the stories behind the episodes.With wit and clarity displaying a true fan's zeal and replete with images from the shows photographs of the writers and diagrams and proofs The Simpsons and Their Mathematical Secrets offers an entirely new insight into the most successful show in television history.
language: English
title: The Simpsons and Their Mathematical Secrets
publisher: Bloomsbury USA