Agatha Christie is most well-known for her murder mysteries where her top detectives Hercules Poirot and Miss Marple hunt down and find ruthless killers. The crime novels follow a similar story arch with different plots, themes and characters leaving the reader to see if they can guess who the murder is from a list of suspects. To celebrate the writer's 125th birthday, a series of academics came up with a mathematical formula that can actually be used to accurately discover who the murder is with a simple equation.
Academics tested their equation out on 27 of Agatha Christie's 93 published novels and found several clues that helped predict who the killer was depending on how they were introduced, mode of transportation and gender. Readers can sub in the various elements of the equation to see who the killer is.
Perhaps the equation takes the fun out of trying to guess who the murder is, but it can be used to see if your prediction is correct if you're antsy to know.
What's Driving This Trend
- Mystery-solving Algorithms
- Disruptive innovation opportunity: Development of algorithms that can solve mysteries and predict outcomes in various industries.
- Predictive Analysis in Crime Novels
- Disruptive innovation opportunity: Integration of mathematical formulas to create interactive crime novels that allow readers to solve mysteries alongside the characters.
- Data-driven Storytelling
- Disruptive innovation opportunity: Using data analysis and algorithms to create engaging narratives and surprising plot twists in literature and entertainment.
Who This Affects Most
- Publishing
- Disruptive innovation opportunity: Incorporating data analytics and algorithms in the production and marketing of mystery novels.
- Entertainment
- Disruptive innovation opportunity: Developing interactive murder mystery games and movies that rely on mathematical formulas to engage the audience.
- Detective Services
- Disruptive innovation opportunity: Utilizing predictive analysis algorithms to assist in real-life detective work and criminal investigations.
