Math That Matters: Enhancing Academic Mathematics' Impact on Society

TL;DR

This paper highlights the critical role of mathematics in societal technological advancements, showcasing examples of impactful mathematical applications and advocating for greater accessibility and engagement by mathematicians.

Contribution

It presents three concrete examples of mathematics benefiting society and proposes steps for Nigerian mathematicians to increase societal impact.

Findings

Mathematics underpins revolutionary technologies and information processing.

Examples include diabetes analysis, mathematical software development, and data visualization tools.

Mathematicians can significantly enhance societal benefits through increased outreach and application.

Abstract

Most if not all of today's revolutionary technologies have a common foundation, namely the intelligent use of information. It is clear that computers play a central role: but the contribution of mathematics, though less visible, is no less critical. The conceptual tools and insights provided by mathematics are the keys to unlocking the full information-processing potential of computers. Academic mathematicians now have an unparalleled opportunity to make a huge impact on modern society: but to take advantage of this opportunity, mathematicians must prioritize making these tools and concepts accessible to a wider audience. In this paper we present three examples of mathematics with significant social benefit: Dmitri Bertsimas' study of diabetes using k-nearest-neighbor methodology; Development of mathematical software (MATLAB and Sage); and ongoing development of data representation and visualization software to facilitate analysis of survey data. We also suggest steps to be taken by academic mathematicians in Nigeria towards enhancing the positive impact of mathematics on society.