How Math is Used in the FBI

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The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) is a law enforcement agency used by the United States’ government. The FBI has been solving cases since 1908, and has been a world leader in crime solving since then. The FBI uses a ton of different ways to solve a case and a lot of them include math. It uses math to solve cases by using statistics to make predictions about a case, special angles when shooting a gun, using geometry when making a geographical area to search in, and pattern recognition to find a place where a criminal might strike. The FBI uses Statistics to solve hundreds of cases, statistics allow the FBI to make predictions to solve a case before they have evidence enough to solve it. Since the FBI is the United States largest law enforcement agency focused mainly on United States soil the FBI needs a way to stay organized so the FBI built a computer program called ViCAP. ViCAP is a database to hold all of the FBI’s crimes. This program can be used to find a similar case in years passed and look back to see what kind of person the statistics point to. The FBI uses advanced statistics compiled by using the mean (average), and looking at the type of person who committed the crime, the severity of the crime, and the age of the person who committed the crime. While out in the field, FBI agents take notes on even the smallest thing that could give a hint to solving a case such as if the crime scene is organized denotes multiple offenses. Statistics are also compiled when looking for a stolen item such as money from a bank, for example, if money is stolen; statistics might tell you where to look, the age, gender, ethnicity, and type of person (down to the car they might drive). Statistics are especially important wh... ... middle of paper ... ...nary of American History. Ed. Stanley I. Kutler. 3rd ed. Vol. 6. New York: Charles Scribner's Sons, 2003. 135. Student Resources in Context. Web. 19 Apr. 2014. "Women as Victims." Women in American Society. Melissa J. Doak. 2012 ed. Detroit: Gale, 2012. Information Plus Reference Series. Student Resources in Context. Web. 20 Apr. 2014. "For February 3, 2013, NBC." NBC Nightly News [Transcript] 4 Feb. 2013. Student Resources in Context. Web. 20 Apr. 2014. "How Many Guns Are There, and Who Owns Them?" Gun Control: Restricting Rights or Protecting People?. Sandra M. Alters. 2011 ed. Detroit: Gale, 2011. Information Plus Reference Series. Student Resources in Context. Web. 21 Apr. 2014. Coles, Clifton. "Mapping poverty: researchers strive to delineate the world's wealth gaps. (Demography)." The Futurist May-June 2003: 16. Student Resources in Context. Web. 22 Apr. 2014.

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