Basic information of the Research Area

[Mathematical Sciences for the Future]Exploration of new science using mathematics to predict and control the future

Research Supervisor

Zin AraiProfessor, School of Computing, Tokyo Institute of Technology

Strategic Objective

Scientific prediction and control as the foundation of a new society and industry

Overview

In addressing escalating social issues on a global scale and the emergence of new real-world problems, there is an urgent need to protect and nurture Earth as global commons, ensuring our safety and security. Achieving this requires the utilization of all available information and data to detect threats and changes in circumstances early, including societal challenges. We must construct new societal infrastructure capable of optimal decision-making and response.
This inevitably involves 'prediction'; to predict and avoid transitioning to irreversibly adverse states, we need to elucidate and analyze complex natural and social phenomena and accurately identify significant indicators and critical transition points. Furthermore, based on such predictions, we need 'control'; it is crucial to create new theories and innovative technologies that ultimately lead to (or maintain) a more desirable state by intervening in the predicted events. From a sustainability perspective, it is critical to avoid allocating resources towards unattainable goals; therefore, examining the feasibility of predicting and controlling the phenomena in question is also essential.
In this research area, we aim to create foundational theories linking the elucidation and analysis of complex phenomena and diverse data related to social issues through abstraction and visualization using mathematics and mathematical sciences. Our goal is the prediction and control of these phenomena.
Specifically, we try to extract mathematical structures from the phenomena that constitute social challenges and explore variables that explain causality and principal factors related to the origin and critical transition of the phenomena. Furthermore, leveraging specialized knowledge about these phenomena, we will focus on verifying and demonstrating the plausibility of the mathematical structures and assessing the feasibility of prediction and control based on them.

Research Area Advisors

Click here to see the List of Research Area Advisors
Takayuki OsogamiSenior Technical Staff Member, IBM Research - Tokyo, IBM Japan, Ltd.
Shizuo KajiProfessor, Institute of Mathematics for Industry, Kyushu University
Yoshinobu KawaharaProfessor, Graduate School of Information Science and Technology, Osaka University
Hideyuki SuzukiProfessor, Graduate School of Information Science and Technology, Osaka University
Masaki TsukamotoProfessor, Graduate school of Science, Kyoto University
Kazuhisa Makino (provisional)Professor, Research Institute for Mathematical Sciences, Kyoto University

The list of Research Area Advisor will be updated later.

Schedule of Selection Process

Deadline for application 2024/05/28 at 12:00 noon, Japan time
Document-based review 2024/07/11
JST will contact to the interviewees no later than 2024/07/12
Interview-based review(ONLINE)
※Interview date and time will be assigned by JST.
2024/07/17, 2024/07/18, 2024/07/22

Research Supervisor's Policy

Research Supervisor's Policy of this Research Area can be downloaded from below.