Meanwhile : An unexpected reversal

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Meanwhile : An unexpected reversal

Published: 22 Jan. 2026, 00:05

Audio report: written by reporters, read by AI

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.

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.