X-Book

The Simpsons and Their Mathematical Secrets

Click Buy to Log in and see personalised pricing.

Send as a gift Get in the xigxag app
How does xigxag pricing work?

Listen to a sample

What to expect

Bloomsbury presents The Simpsons and Their Mathematical Secrets by Simon Singh, read by Lexie McDougall.

From bestselling author of Fermat's Last Theorem, a must-have for number lovers and Simpsons fans

'An entertaining picture of the insanely high-minded nature of the Simpsons’ writers' Sunday Times
'A valuable, entertaining book that, above all, celebrates a supremely funny, sophisticated show' Financial Times

You may have watched hundreds of episodes of The Simpsons (and its sister show Futurama) without ever realising that they contain enough maths to form an entire university course.

In The Simpsons and Their Mathematical Secrets, Simon Singh explains how the brilliant writers, some of the mathematicians, have smuggled in mathematical jokes throughout the cartoon’s twenty-five year history, exploring everything from to Mersenne primes, from Euler’s equation to the unsolved riddle of P vs. NP, from perfect numbers to narcissistic numbers, and much more.

With wit, clarity and a true fan’s zeal, Singh analyses such memorable episodes as ‘Bart the Genius’ and ‘Homer³’ to offer an entirely new insight into the most successful show in television history.

Critics Review

Singh blows the lid off a decades-long conspiracy to secretly educate cartoon viewers
David X Cohen, writer for The Simpsons and Futurama
An entertaining picture of the insanely high-minded nature of the Simpsons’ writers
Sunday Times
Singh shows a knack for gliding seamlessly between abstract mathematical concepts and every day life, always seeking out the most engaging, human and topical examples. Singh’s clean prose, detailed research and enthusiasm for the world of numbers are likely to captivate even those for whom maths normally creates feelings of anxiety rather than mirth
The Times
A valuable, entertaining book that, above all, celebrates a supremely funny, sophisticated show
Financial Times
What have Homer and Bart got to do with Euler's equation, the googolplex or the topology of doughnuts? ... Simon Singh has fun weaving great mathematics stories around our favourite TV characters
New Scientist
Singh shows just how addictive maths can be
BBC Focus
Author Simon Singh
Narrator Lexie McDougall
Duration 7 hours and 57 minutes
Release Date
ISBN 9781526640369
Format Audiobook
Publisher Bloomsbury Publishing
Genre Film, television, radio and performing arts: companion works, Popular and recreational mathematics, Popular culture
Availability AU, GB, IE

More from the same

Author

Narrator

About xigxag

xigxag is an independent, UK-based audiobook platform and the UK’s only B Corp certified audiobook company. We offer nearly 150,000 audiobooks, all with professional human narration. No AI-generated voices. xigxag is rated an Ethical Consumer Best Buy for audiobooks and a top-rated ethical bookshop.

There is no subscription. You buy the audiobooks you want, you own them permanently, and prices start at £8.99. The more you listen over the year, the less you pay per book, and there is always a selection in Listen for Less from £3.99. You can also send audiobooks as gifts using our audiobook gift cards or in-app gifting.

Every audiobook on xigxag has honest reviews covering both the book and the narration, and our community features make it easy to share what you are listening to, discover what others recommend, and find your next listen.

Download or stream on iOS, Android, or in your browser. Browse the full catalogue at xigxag.co.uk.