Education Technology


NUMB3RS - Season 2 - "Backscatter" - Chains and Pyramids

Activity Overview

In "Backscatter," Charlie uses the mathematics of "Backscatter Analysis" to trace an Internet attack back to its source. While few home computer users are likely to become victims of an outright attack by Internet hackers, nearly everyone with an e-mail address is familiar with the problems that can be caused by "message flooding," the mathematically inevitable consequence of designing messages so that they will replicate themselves exponentially.

Before the Activity

Download the attached PDF and look over the Teacher Page.

During the Activity

Discuss the materials from the Student Page with your class.

After the Activity

Encourage students to explore web sites and questions from the Extensions page.