Uncertainty is an unavoidable and essential ingredient of almost all applications of
forensic science. Traces may carry information on who or what left them, by which
activity they arose, and several other questions. In many cases there is no way to
uniquely identify the only possible source or activity. This means that, while these
forensic traces can reduce our uncertainty, they cannot be expected to eliminate it.
Probability theory and statistics are mathematical disciplines that are concerned
with uncertainty in many different ways. It is, therefore, to be expected that probability
theory and statistics are crucial for understanding the philosophy, theory, and
practice of forensic science. This book offers an in-depth discussion about what
the mathematical disciplines of probability theory and statistics can contribute to
forensic science, and more specifically about the interpretation of evidence.