From "Solitary Mathematics" to "Collaborative Mathematics." The World of Mathematical Sciences Offers Opportunities for All.

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Graduate of the private Kumon Kokusai Gakuen Senior High School in Kanagawa Prefecture.

She discovered the fun of math in elementary school when she started attending a Juku. Following her parents' educational philosophy of "learning to think for yourself about the path to achieving your goals," she devised her own methods for systematically completing assignments and homework. She balanced her studies for junior high and university entrance exams with competitive golf, where she even considered going pro. Now in her master's program, she is studying "probability theory" while also turning her attention to various social issues. We asked her about the choices she made and the conclusions she reached during her university life.

[*] Academic year at the time of the interview (July 2019).

I wasn't in any school clubs, but I was dedicated to competitive golf on my own. I was lucky enough to compete in the national tournament once. Almost every day after school, I would practice for about two hours at a driving range near my home, then do my homework at night before bed. I started playing golf in the fifth grade of elementary school when my father suggested we play together. I started just to accompany him, but I was the one who got hooked on how fun it was.

I attended a Juku from elementary school, and math was the most enjoyable subject for me. In high school, many of my teachers were very enthusiastic, creating an environment where I found studying fun. On a daily basis, when my mother drove me to the golf course, I would try to make 100 by multiplying and adding the four numbers on the license plate of the car in front of us. I also practiced how far I could mentally add up the "Fibonacci sequence" (a sequence where the next number is the sum of the previous two), which a math teacher had taught me. With both math and golf, there's no end to how deeply you can delve into them. It's more like I've come this far without knowing when to stop... I also just liked things I could immerse myself in alone.

My parents had always told me, "To finish your assignments, you need to plan for yourself what to do and how to do it," so I think I developed a habit of thinking that way. At my high school, most students planned to go to university, so we had a lot of homework, and I studied systematically to get it all done.

For my university entrance exams, I went to a private math Juku. When I told my teacher I wanted to go into a science-related faculty, he was very encouraging, saying, "That's great!" I was grateful to be in an environment where my ambitions weren't dismissed. I took a break from golf in my third year of high school, made a plan for my exams, and disciplined myself to study hard. That year was a valuable experience.

I was also interested in engineering and information science and wasn't sure if I wanted to major in mathematics, so I decided to enter the Faculty of Science and Technology at Keio University, which has the "Gakumon System" [*]. Even within mathematical sciences, there is a wide range, including pure mathematics like algebra, geometry, and analysis, as well as more applied fields like optimization and discrete mathematics, statistics, and recently, machine learning. There were so many research areas I was interested in, so I felt it would broaden my options. Relatives who are also graduates of Keio University recommended it as a good university with a high level of diverse students, which was also a major factor.

[*] The Gakumon System is a unique system at the Keio University Faculty of Science and Technology where students choose one of five "Gakumon" (academic fields) at the time of admission. After enrolling, they gradually narrow down their field of interest and decide on their department when they advance to their second year.

The Faculty of Science and Technology has many serious and talented students. Unlike high school, everyone comes from different backgrounds, so they are all unique. University is a great place because you can be with people who share your specialty and get along with you, and you don't feel out of place at all when you want to be alone.

In terms of classes, I enjoyed "Differential and Integral Calculus" in my first year of undergraduate studies. I would sit in the front row of the large lecture hall and ask the professor questions directly. Even though there were about 100 students in the class, the professor answered my questions seriously, and this experience was one of the reasons I decided to major in the Department of Mathematics.

Also, the "Fundamentals of Mathematical Sciences I" class, where we worked on assignments in groups, was a fresh experience. I had always thought of mathematics as something you do on your own, so it was my first time tackling a problem as a group. If our understanding was shallow, the professors would point it out during our presentation and our grade would go down, so I wasn't shy about saying "I don't understand" and asking for help from my peers.

What's great about research in the Department of Mathematics is that it's not tied to a specific place or time. In some departments, you can't do research or create things without certain equipment, but with research in the Department of Mathematics, you can take books home to study and it's easy to participate in extracurricular activities. I also competed in golf tournaments whenever I had the time. Now that I'm in the master's program, I spend most weekdays at the university doing research. If I'm at home, I get the urge to play golf (laughs). I spend more time at the university now than I did as an undergraduate. Also, the Department of Mathematics research labs are on the sixth floor, and one whole wall is glass, so the view is great. You can see the Yokohama Landmark Tower and nearby fireworks displays, so I think it's a really nice place.

I'm studying "probability theory." From my experience and intuition, I like "mathematics that is close to real life." The "coupon collector's problem" that I learned about in the "Introduction to Probability" lecture in my third year of undergraduate studies was very interesting because it used mathematics to prove the answer to the question, "How many times do you need to draw coupons to get at least one of each of n different types?" The content was deeply related to real life. This class was a major influence on my decision to specialize in probability theory. Right now, I'm learning the basics by studying the behavior of random walks and widely known theorems. For example, on a one-dimensional integer number line, if you start at the origin and flip a coin, moving one step to the right for heads and one step to the left for tails, it can be mathematically proven that the probability of returning to the origin after an infinite number of flips is 100%. This is a concept called recurrence, and the same holds true in two dimensions, but it doesn't work in three or more dimensions. It can be shown that the probability of returning to the origin after an infinite number of trials becomes strictly less than 1. There's a joke that "a lost person can find their way home, but a lost bird cannot find its way back to its nest," and I'm using mathematical formulas to prove such theories. That said, when it came time to decide on my major, all the classes in the Department of Mathematics were appealing, so in the end, I decided on probability theory based on a "hunch" (laughs).

There are many unique people in the Department of Mathematics. I have a friend who came back from a graduate school in France, and another who turned down a job offer to pursue a doctoral program at a German university because they "wanted to do more research." Friends who expose me to worlds I don't know make me realize that the possibilities are endless and also make me think, "I have to work hard too!" Outside of research, I'm involved in addressing issues related to the employment status of students in Doctoral Programs and researchers. The reality is that even very talented people who enter Doctoral Programs remain students, and many give up on pursuing Doctoral Programs or research careers because they have to live on small scholarships. I think this is a waste for the country and society. So, I talk to researchers who are facing this very problem and go to petition parliamentary candidates. I never thought I would be doing something like this, but once I became aware of it, I couldn't look away.

I'm gradually starting my job search now. Since entering university, I've found more enjoyment in communicating with people than in immersing myself in things alone. I think my perspective has changed through spending time with like-minded peers and taking classes that involved group work during my university life.

As for specific job types, I'm considering becoming an actuary, data scientist, technical sales representative, or IT consultant. An actuary is a professional who calculates insurance risks, a profession where mathematical knowledge can be applied. Many seniors from the Department of Mathematics have also gone on to become actuaries. I hope to find a job where I can be active without straying too far from my field of expertise.

I sincerely hope that more women will join the Faculty of Science and Technology! I had heard that because there are still few women in STEM fields, they get a lot of attention during job hunting and that companies are actively seeking to hire women. Now that I've actually started job hunting, I see that quite a few companies want to hire women in STEM. There are probably jobs that allow for remote work, and considering future events like childbirth, it might be a field that is easy for women to work in. At the Yagami Festival [*] held in October, we are planning a consultation booth for female junior high and high school students, so I would be happy if those interested in the Department of Mathematics would stop by. There is also a website called " Suri-Joshi " (Math Girls) that introduces the appeal of mathematics and women who are active in the field, so I would definitely like junior high and high school students thinking about a future in STEM to check it out.

[*] The Yagami Festival is a school festival held in early October every year at the Yagami Campus, which is attended by third- and fourth-year undergraduates of the Faculty of Science and Technology and graduate students of the Graduate School of Science and Technology. In 2019, it will be held for two days on Saturday, October 12, and Sunday, October 13.

When I think about what kind of person is suited for the Department of Mathematics, I think it's someone who can ask "Why does that happen?"—someone with a strong sense of inquiry. During lectures, both faculty and students often make mistakes. In those moments, it's an environment where you can say, "Isn't that a mistake?" and the professors will say, "I make mistakes, so please point them out." The fact that faculty and students can be on "equal" footing, this welcoming atmosphere and safe learning environment, is one of the things that makes me glad I came here.

I think being allowed to fail is a privilege of the young. Regardless of gender, if there's something you want to learn, I hope you won't suppress that feeling and will take on the challenge, even if others oppose it. With STEM talent in the spotlight, I believe that studying mathematics will be a major advantage in the future.