In Arthur Conan Doyle’s Sherlock Holmes story “The Final Problem,” Professor Moriarty’s academic specialty is mathematics.
Holmes describes Moriarty as a former professor of mathematics who has written a treatise on the binomial theorem. This detail establishes Moriarty as an intellectual equal rather than merely a physically dangerous criminal. His mathematical ability also symbolizes the carefully organized criminal network that Holmes must defeat.
Moriarty first appeared in “The Final Problem,” published in 1893 in The Strand Magazine. The story presents him as the hidden mastermind behind much of London’s crime, although Doyle gave the character only a small direct role in the original canon.
Readers sometimes remember Moriarty primarily as “the Napoleon of crime,” but that phrase describes his criminal reputation, not his profession. His academic background is specifically mathematics, while his criminal activities are portrayed as a separate, secret career.