每个夜晚，数学家被唤醒得知有多少玩家的技能因为其他玩家技能影响而未正常使用。（不计算自身）
祭司的技能可以得知死去玩家的阵营，当中毒的祭司发动技能，当天三个死亡玩家有两名玩家是邪恶的，但实际上这三个死去的玩家都是邪恶的。除了中毒的祭司之外所有的技能都正常生效了，数学家得到的数字就是“1”。
中毒的舞蛇人选择一名村民玩家并且什么都没发生。这时醉酒的杂技演员得到了正确的信息。中毒的学者得知了两条正确信息。这天晚上数学家得知的数字是“1”。因为中毒的舞蛇人和杂技演员的技能正常生效并获得了正确的信息，而学者应该 得知一条正确信息和一条错误信息，但他获得了两条正确信息，所以被判定为“出错”，所以数学家得知的数字是“1”。
混沌在场，在场所有玩家的信息都变成了错误信息。五个善良阵营玩家得到了错误的信息。女巫醉酒了，当被女巫诅咒的玩家提名时，他不会死亡。虽然六种技能都没有正常发动，但由于混沌的技能，数学家当晚得知的数字是“3”。
Your information is valuable, but only if you know what the rest of the town is doing. Get chatty with your fellow players and find out what their information is - figuring out who has an ability that isn't working correctly will help out the good team a lot. Characters like the Clockmaker, Flowergirl, Seamstress and Oracle (among others) will need your help making sure their information should be acted upon!
Pay attention to game changes that would affect your data, and be wary if your data suddenly changes. If a recent executee is claiming to be the Sweetheart, your number might increment that evening. Alternatively, if you're suddenly getting a '2' when you were previously getting a '0', you can be suspicious that a Pit-Hag just created a No Dashii.
Make sure to check with your Storyteller on what sort of ability malfunctions that you're picking up on. In Sects & Violets, you typically detect when good characters have their ability altered due to evil characters, like the No Dashii and Vortox. However, you will also detect character abilities not working as intended due to the Sweetheart after death, or the Philosopher duplicating an in-play character, and a poisoned Snake Charmer trying to use their ability on the Demon, but nothing happening.
Beware of the Vortox! Just like everyone else, all of your information will be false. If you are getting a low number, but it seems like a lot of Townsfolk are getting misinformation, you can suspect that this is in play. In particular, getting a '0' when others appear to be getting bad information is a great tell that you are poisoned OR a Vortox is in town.
Getting a read of '0' is fantastic, as it means that nobody got bad information or had their ability not work correctly. Everyone should be able to trust their info for that day and night.
Getting a read of '1' is also fantastic - this means only one ability didn't work as intended, and if you can figure out who that is, everyone else can trust their information is reliable for that day and night.
If you're getting a read of '2' or more, your town might be in trouble. This is a very good sign that multiple sources of poisoning or ability malfunctions are afoot in the town... or that maybe you're the one who is poisoned.
Unlike other townsfolk, the Mathematician doesn't need to be shy in coming out. Not only is your information most useful when shared, but even one night of it is incredibly powerful when it comes to helping the town. Compared to a Flowergirl or a Juggler you're also just not as much of a threat.
Keep your numbers small. Telling the group a 4, 3, or even a 2 can look suspicious. Most of the time, real, legitimate Mathematician (those with a degree!), usually get a 0 or a 1 each night.
Be thoughtful when it comes time to give your information for the first night of the game. Less characters act on the first night, so giving a 0 is safest. Sometimes, a 1 is doable.
Be consistent with your information. If you have given 2 for each night so far, keep telling the group a 2. If you have told the group that 0 player's abilities have gone wrong, then switching suddenly to a 1 will bring a lot of attention on you. Be prepared. Reducing the number that you give over time is much more believable than increasing it - as players die, the number of malfunctioning abilities would gradually be getting less and less.
Switch your information up when an obvious change would indicate that it should. For example, if a Sweetheart dies, or if a Philosopher becomes an in-play character, changing your information up would indicate that you are indeed the Mathematician, and that the Sweetheart and Philosopher are also telling the truth.
If you know the type of Demon that is in play, give information that is consistent with the Demon. This makes you look good. For example, if you know a Vortox is in play (and you believe the good team has, or will, figure it out), then giving obviously inaccurate information seems reasonable. Or, if you know a Fang Gu is in play, (and you believe the good team has, or will, figure it out), then give information that implies that good abilities are working normally.
If you know the type of Demon that is in play, but you do not believe that the good team will figure it out, then give information that conflicts with this Demon type. If you can make the good team believe that a different Demon is in-play, then they will be very confused. For example, if a Vigormortis is in play, you can keep giving a 1 or a 2 as your information, giving the impression that a No Dashii is in play instead.
As a fake Mathematician, you are particularly suited to supporting the bluffs of other evil players. If they are claiming too be a good character that is suspicious that their ability malfunctioned yesterday, then give a 1 (or more) to make their bluff look more legitimate.
If you are a Minion, and trying to get yourself executed late in the game, you can do so easily as the Mathematician. Tell the group you received either a 0 or a 1 at a time where it would be obviously illogical to do so, and the good team will be hunting for you - but not the Demon - once they figure it out.