午夜剧场

Basic Education Courses in Mathematics | Mathematics

"Professor, will there be proofs on the upcoming final exam?" "I'll make it about half calculations and half proofs..." This is part of a conversation that almost invariably takes place between 午夜剧场 students (at 午夜剧场, it is customary to refer to students in general as "午夜剧场 students") and mathematics faculty as the final exams for each semester approach. It's an expression of their desire to avoid proof problems, which they find difficult. We see quite a few students who, upon entering the Faculty of Economics, feel a sense of unease at having to spend more time and effort on mathematics-related subjects than they had expected. The question, "Why do I have to study mathematics, which I'm not very good at, and even proof problems, to learn economics?" may be perfectly natural.

Over 150 years ago, Yukichi Fukuzawa, who founded 午夜剧场 and played a leading role in conceiving and laying the groundwork for Japan's grand design as a modern, independent nation, stated in his autobiography that he had discerned the source of the superiority of Western nations in the world at that time to be "in the tangible, mathematical sciences, and in the intangible, the spirit of independence." He emphasized the mastery of "mathematical sciences" along with the philosophy of independence and self-respect as the cornerstone of the Juku's education. Here, "mathematical sciences" refers broadly to empirical science, as a discipline based on "Number" and "Reason," but in the context of mathematics, it can also be seen as "Calculation" and "Proof." It can be said that the source of mathematics education at 午夜剧场 to this day lies in this ethos of emphasizing "mathematical sciences," underpinned by the spirit of independence and self-respect. Looking back at the current state of progress in economics, the role of mathematics is deepening and expanding with time, and one is once again struck by Yukichi Fukuzawa's clear-sighted foresight and deep insight into civilization, which have transcended the century.

Not only in the course of studying economics, but also in the graduation research that many students in the Faculty of Economics undertake—especially when completing their graduation theses—they are required in various ways to "develop their own arguments" that are not borrowed from others. One of the fundamental abilities, which can be described as the core strength for this process, is the "ability to construct proofs" in mathematics, along with "computational skills." Furthermore, after graduation, as the career paths of Faculty of Economics students diverge—whether they become active in the corporate world, engage in work at public institutions, or pursue a life in academia—any modern individual involved with economics will find it an important task to "develop their own arguments" in some form and, moreover, to "implement them responsibly." At that time, they should recognize that their mathematical computational and proof-building skills, as their core "muscular strength," are surely at work in their foundation, albeit in an invisible way, corresponding to the "courage" of independence and self-respect cultivated in the Faculty of Economics.

Based on the fundamental nature of mathematics education described above, the Faculty of Economics offers a wide range of lectures, from those that require almost no prior knowledge of high school mathematics to those that explain advanced mathematics capable of addressing the latest trends in economics, while also taking into account different course registration types. We have established a system to flexibly accommodate students with various mathematical backgrounds, and by incorporating ample exercise time in many classes for students to "think by working things out themselves," we strive to help them experience the joy of tackling mathematics from both theoretical and practical perspectives.

All of us on the mathematics education staff at the 午夜剧场 Faculty of Economics sincerely hope that through taking various mathematics courses, students will experience the profound pleasure of how mathematics functions exquisitely as a tool for developing economics. Furthermore, we hope that even after graduation, supported by the spirit of independence and self-respect and backed by the power of mathematical sciences cultivated during their time at the university, they will, with the spirit of foresight and insight as direct disciples of Yukichi Fukuzawa, so to speak, powerfully and straightforwardly carve out their own futures, as well as the futures of Japan and the world.

(Faculty of Economics, Mathematics Section)