The Simpsons and their mathematical secrets

Since its debut on December 17, 1989, The Simpsons has become the longest-running American sitcom. But not many know about the show’s close relationship with the world of maths.

Simon Singh, a London-based physicist and maths lover, discovered that there were mathematical messages and references in the episodes. On probing further, he found that five of the key scriptwriters had maths or physics degrees or PhDs from Harvard Singh met and talked to them at length. This resulted in what is being termed “a rib-tickling book”, ‘The Simpsons and Their Mathematical Secrets. With this book, Singh, who has taught at Doon School too, hopes to make those who love the show fall in love with mathematics too!