Forensic science involves the application of science to criminal investigations. It is what we see used in television shows including Bones, CSI and NCIS.
But where is the maths?
According to Schneps and Colmez (2013) "mathematics is fast becoming one of the most important techniques in crime detection. Where once a Sherlock Holmes would have had to be content with a magnifying glass, or a jury with gut instinct and rational discussion, now a range of methods from probability and statistics are available to help. Today, mathematics lies behind expert conclusions on a hundred forensic matters from fingerprints to DNA."
Together we are going to investigate a murder and use mathematics to help us solve the crime. Mathematics will allow us to identify both the victim and the murderer through an analysis of the crime scene, a calculation of time of death, blood loss, bullet trajectory and an analysis of the bones.
Read the following newspaper article and conduct further research to help you write a list of ways mathematics is used in forensic science.