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Meanwhile : An unexpected reversal (KOR)

Published: 22 Jan. 2026, 10:50

Lee Woo Young

The author is an HCMC distinguished professor at the Korea Institute for Advanced Study.

Several years ago, on Oct. 31, an American mathematics journalist was invited to a one-hour radio interview devoted entirely to math. He was puzzled. Who would schedule an hour of complex mathematics on the radio? Before the program began, he asked the producer what had prompted the idea. The producer smiled awkwardly and replied, “It’s Halloween tonight. We thought nothing was scarier than mathematics.”

The cover of ″Calculus: Early Transcendentals″, written by James Stewart, Saleem Watson and Daniel K. Clegg. Published by Cengage, the textbook is widely used in undergraduate calculus courses and is known for its emphasis on conceptual understanding alongside rigorous problem solving. [CENGAGE PUBLISHING]

In the mid-1990s, when personal computers were becoming common, a late-night radio show conducted a listener survey. The question was simple: which school subject do you think will disappear in the near future? Mathematics ranked first. Most respondents were teenagers, so the answer was understandable. There was an expectation that computers would replace mathematics. There was also, quietly, the hope that students might finally be spared a subject many found painful.

No matter how it is explained, mathematics remains difficult and intimidating for students. Advice on how to become good at math circulates widely, but it often rings hollow. The core reason is the nature of mathematics itself. Understanding cannot be handed down. It must be discovered individually. Yet mathematics forms the foundation of modern science and technology, making it impossible to avoid. To cope, educators often try to simplify math by removing difficult material. But subtraction is not always the solution. One episode illustrates why.

In France, there was once a movement to remove differential calculus from the high school curriculum. The argument was that it was too abstract and too hard. Eventually, the issue reached a televised debate. Panelists split into opposing camps and exchanged sharp arguments. The pro-removal side made its case with striking clarity, and as the discussion unfolded, the mood appeared to swing decisively in its favor.

Then, near the end of the program, an unexpected reversal occurred. It came from a single remark by a panelist who had been on the defensive throughout the debate and seemed close to losing. Turning to his opponent, he said, “I concede defeat. But the reason you were able to present such a coherent and logical argument tonight is precisely that you studied differential calculus in high school.”

The exchange cut through the discussion more sharply than any technical explanation. What had been framed as an abstract and unnecessary burden was suddenly revealed as a source of intellectual discipline.

뜻밖의 반전
이우영 고등과학원 HCMC 석학교수

몇 해 전 10월 31일, 미국의 한 수학 저널리스트가 한 시간짜리 수학 관련 라디오 인터뷰에 초대받았다. 의아한 일이었다. 어려운 수학 이야기를 한 시간이나 편성하다니. 그래서 인터뷰가 시작되기 전, 그는 담당 프로듀서에게 어찌 된 영문이냐고 물었다. 그러자 프로듀서는 멋쩍은 표정을 지으며 이렇게 답했다. “오늘 밤이 핼러윈이잖아요. 수학보다 더 무서운 건 없다고 생각했죠!”

1990년대 중반, 컴퓨터가 대중적으로 보급될 무렵에 한 심야 라디오 프로그램에서 청취자 설문조사를 진행했다. 가까운 미래에 학교에서 사라질 과목이 무엇이라고 생각하나요? 응답 1위는 수학이었다. 청취자 대부분이 10대 청소년이었으니 이해는 간다. 여기엔 컴퓨터가 수학을 대체할 것이라는 기대감도 작용했지만, 이참에 괴로운 과목인 수학을 배우지 않았으면 하는 바람도 살짝 섞였다.

무슨 말을 해도 학생들에게 수학은 어렵고 무섭다. 여기저기서 수학을 잘 할 수 있는 비결을 설파하지만, 대개는 공허하다. 가장 큰 이유는 스스로 깨우쳐야 하는 수학의 속성 때문이다. 어떻든 현대 과학 문명의 토대인 수학을 피할 수는 없으니, 어려운 내용을 좀 빼서 수학을 쉽게 가르치고 배우려 한다. 그런데 빼는 게 능사가 아니다. 다음 일화에 그 이유가 담겨 있다.

프랑스에서는 한때 고등학교 교육과정에서 미분법을 빼려는 움직임이 있었다. 너무 추상적이고 어렵다는 이유였다. 마침내 이 문제를 두고 TV 토론이 열렸다. 패널들이 찬반양론으로 나누어져 열띤 공방을 벌였는데, 미분법을 빼야 한다는 찬성 측 패널의 주장이 매우 설득력이 있어 토론의 분위기가 거의 찬성 쪽으로 기울어지고 있었다. 그런데 토론의 막바지에 뜻밖의 반전이 일어났다. 그건 계속 수세에 몰리던 반대 측 패널의 다음 한마디 때문이었다. “내가 졌어요. 하지만 당신이 이처럼 논리정연한 주장을 펼칠 수 있었던 이유가 바로 고등학교 때 미분법을 배웠기 때문이에요.”

This article was originally written in Korean and translated by a bilingual reporter with the help of generative AI tools. It was then edited by a native English-speaking editor. All AI-assisted translations are reviewed and refined by our newsroom.