Kenjiro Shoda
Encyclopedia
Kenjiro Shoda was a Japanese
mathematician.
, Gunma to a wealthy family. He was the second son of Teiichiro Shoda, the founder of Nisshin Flour, one of biggest companies in Japan. He was educated in Tokyo
until he finished junior high school. He went to the National Eighth High School in Nagoya, today succeeded to Faculty of Liberal Arts of Nagoya University
.
After he finished the Eighth High School, he returned to Tokyo
and studied mathematics at Imperial University of Tokyo. Shoda was supervised by Teiji Takagi
, one of best mathematicians in Japan at that time, and Takagi inspired Shoda to study algebra
. Shoda graduated at Department of Mathematics, Faculty of Science at Tokyo University in 1925 and continued his graduate study under Takagi's supervision.
In 1925, in his second year at Graduate School of Tokyo University, he got a scholarship which allowed him to study in Germany
. With an interest in group theory
, he went to Berlin to work with Issai Schur
. After one year in Berlin, Shoda went to Göttingen
to study with Emmy Noether
. Noether's school brought a mathematical growth to him. In 1929 he returned to Japan. Soon afterwards, he began to write Abstract Algebra, his mathematical textbook in Japanese for advanced learners. It was published in 1932 and soon recognised as a significant work for mathematics in Japan. It became a standard textbook and was reprinted many times.
, which was founded in 1931 as the eighth Imperial University of Japan and hence the second one in the Kansai
region, to promote industries in Osaka, therefore focusing on natural science, engineering and medicine in particular.
The decades from the 1930s were a hard time for Japanese researchers. However, Shoda continued to apply himself to learning. After World War II
, he was elected the first Chairman of the Mathematical Society of Japan
in 1946. In this role he managed to reconstruct Japanese mathematics both theoretically and organisationally. Also, he was eager to attempt to keep the educational standard at Osaka University as its faculty staff. In this period, he published General Algebra, another textbook in Japanese. In 1949 Shoda was awarded the Japan Academy Prize in recognition of his fine achievements. Also that year he was elected the Dean of the Faculty of Science at Osaka University.
In 1955 Shoda was appointed as President of Osaka University, a role in which he remained for six years. His achievements as President include foundations of two new faculties: the Faculty of Letters and the Faculty of Engineering Science, both based at Toyonaka
, Osaka. The Faculty of Engineering Science was an ambitious attempt to synthesise two traditional disciplines: science and engineering. Some criticise the Faculty of Engineering Science as being nothing less than a duplicate of the Faculty of Engineering, while others recognise it as having helped to promote academic collaboration between multiple disciplines, including science, engineering and sometimes medical science.
Shoda is remembered by the students and alumni of Osaka University as the founder of the Shoda Cup, which is given for the winning team of five people in an athletics contest. Shoda worried that most students were lacking in physical education and paid too little attention to it. With this Cup, he attempted to invoke interest for sporting activities among students. It succeeded and the Shoda Cup has been contested yearly by many students.
When his term as President ended in 1961, Shoda left Osaka University but suddenly returned as a professor the Faculty of Engineering Science founded in this year and was appointed to its first Dean. After retirement from Osaka University, he worked still to improve the Japanese educational system in this field. He taught in Musashi University
in Tokyo and became its President. In 1969 he was awarded the Order of Culture
of Japan.
In 1977 Kenjiro Shoda died unexpectedly while driving with his family.
. The remarried couple had one son.
After his death, his family contributed a part of his legacy to some academic institutions including Osaka University. Osaka University used the money to make a small garden near to two of his former workplaces: the Faculty of Science and the Faculty of Engineering Science and named it after him. "Shoda Garden", a silent cozy space, is at the corner of main street of the campus, beside the building of the Cyber Media Center at Toyonaka, backed by dense bamboo woods. Sometimes people at Toyonaka hold their parties there, like a welcoming party for freshmen, or a barbecue
just for fun and communication.
Empress Michiko
is one of his nieces.
Japanese people
The are an ethnic group originating in the Japanese archipelago and are the predominant ethnic group of Japan. Worldwide, approximately 130 million people are of Japanese descent; of these, approximately 127 million are residents of Japan. People of Japanese ancestry who live in other countries...
mathematician.
Early life and career
Shoda was born in TatebayashiTatebayashi, Gunma
is a city located in Gunma, Japan.As of April 1, 2011, the city has an estimated population of 79,755, with a household number of 34,413, and the density of 1,307.89 persons per km²...
, Gunma to a wealthy family. He was the second son of Teiichiro Shoda, the founder of Nisshin Flour, one of biggest companies in Japan. He was educated in Tokyo
Tokyo
, ; officially , is one of the 47 prefectures of Japan. Tokyo is the capital of Japan, the center of the Greater Tokyo Area, and the largest metropolitan area of Japan. It is the seat of the Japanese government and the Imperial Palace, and the home of the Japanese Imperial Family...
until he finished junior high school. He went to the National Eighth High School in Nagoya, today succeeded to Faculty of Liberal Arts of Nagoya University
Nagoya University
Nagoya University is one of the most prestigious universities in Japan. It can be seen in the several rankings such as shown below.-General Rankings:...
.
After he finished the Eighth High School, he returned to Tokyo
Tokyo
, ; officially , is one of the 47 prefectures of Japan. Tokyo is the capital of Japan, the center of the Greater Tokyo Area, and the largest metropolitan area of Japan. It is the seat of the Japanese government and the Imperial Palace, and the home of the Japanese Imperial Family...
and studied mathematics at Imperial University of Tokyo. Shoda was supervised by Teiji Takagi
Teiji Takagi
Teiji Takagi was a Japanese mathematician, best known for proving the Takagi existence theorem in class field theory....
, one of best mathematicians in Japan at that time, and Takagi inspired Shoda to study algebra
Algebra
Algebra is the branch of mathematics concerning the study of the rules of operations and relations, and the constructions and concepts arising from them, including terms, polynomials, equations and algebraic structures...
. Shoda graduated at Department of Mathematics, Faculty of Science at Tokyo University in 1925 and continued his graduate study under Takagi's supervision.
In 1925, in his second year at Graduate School of Tokyo University, he got a scholarship which allowed him to study in Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
. With an interest in group theory
Group theory
In mathematics and abstract algebra, group theory studies the algebraic structures known as groups.The concept of a group is central to abstract algebra: other well-known algebraic structures, such as rings, fields, and vector spaces can all be seen as groups endowed with additional operations and...
, he went to Berlin to work with Issai Schur
Issai Schur
Issai Schur was a mathematician who worked in Germany for most of his life. He studied at Berlin...
. After one year in Berlin, Shoda went to Göttingen
Göttingen
Göttingen is a university town in Lower Saxony, Germany. It is the capital of the district of Göttingen. The Leine river runs through the town. In 2006 the population was 129,686.-General information:...
to study with Emmy Noether
Emmy Noether
Amalie Emmy Noether was an influential German mathematician known for her groundbreaking contributions to abstract algebra and theoretical physics. Described by David Hilbert, Albert Einstein and others as the most important woman in the history of mathematics, she revolutionized the theories of...
. Noether's school brought a mathematical growth to him. In 1929 he returned to Japan. Soon afterwards, he began to write Abstract Algebra, his mathematical textbook in Japanese for advanced learners. It was published in 1932 and soon recognised as a significant work for mathematics in Japan. It became a standard textbook and was reprinted many times.
Osaka University
In 1933 Shoda was appointed as professor in the Faculty of Science at Imperial Osaka UniversityOsaka University
, or , is a major national university located in Osaka, Japan. It is the sixth oldest university in Japan as the Osaka Prefectural Medical College, and formerly one of the Imperial Universities of Japan...
, which was founded in 1931 as the eighth Imperial University of Japan and hence the second one in the Kansai
Kansai
The or the lies in the southern-central region of Japan's main island Honshū. The region includes the prefectures of Mie, Nara, Wakayama, Kyoto, Osaka, Hyōgo, and Shiga. Depending on who makes the distinction, Fukui, Tokushima and even Tottori Prefecture are also included...
region, to promote industries in Osaka, therefore focusing on natural science, engineering and medicine in particular.
The decades from the 1930s were a hard time for Japanese researchers. However, Shoda continued to apply himself to learning. After World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
, he was elected the first Chairman of the Mathematical Society of Japan
Mathematical Society of Japan
The Mathematical Society of Japan was the first academic society in Japan.In 1877, the organization was establisehd as the Tokyo Sugaku Kaisha. It was re-organized and re-established in its present form in 1946....
in 1946. In this role he managed to reconstruct Japanese mathematics both theoretically and organisationally. Also, he was eager to attempt to keep the educational standard at Osaka University as its faculty staff. In this period, he published General Algebra, another textbook in Japanese. In 1949 Shoda was awarded the Japan Academy Prize in recognition of his fine achievements. Also that year he was elected the Dean of the Faculty of Science at Osaka University.
In 1955 Shoda was appointed as President of Osaka University, a role in which he remained for six years. His achievements as President include foundations of two new faculties: the Faculty of Letters and the Faculty of Engineering Science, both based at Toyonaka
Toyonaka, Osaka
is a city located in Osaka Prefecture, Japan.As of 2010, the city has an estimated population of 388,633 and a population density of 10,680 persons per km². The total area is 36.38 km²...
, Osaka. The Faculty of Engineering Science was an ambitious attempt to synthesise two traditional disciplines: science and engineering. Some criticise the Faculty of Engineering Science as being nothing less than a duplicate of the Faculty of Engineering, while others recognise it as having helped to promote academic collaboration between multiple disciplines, including science, engineering and sometimes medical science.
Shoda is remembered by the students and alumni of Osaka University as the founder of the Shoda Cup, which is given for the winning team of five people in an athletics contest. Shoda worried that most students were lacking in physical education and paid too little attention to it. With this Cup, he attempted to invoke interest for sporting activities among students. It succeeded and the Shoda Cup has been contested yearly by many students.
When his term as President ended in 1961, Shoda left Osaka University but suddenly returned as a professor the Faculty of Engineering Science founded in this year and was appointed to its first Dean. After retirement from Osaka University, he worked still to improve the Japanese educational system in this field. He taught in Musashi University
Musashi University
is a university in Tokyo, Japan. It was founded by leading businessman Kaichiro Nezu in 1922 as Musashi High School.It has faculties of economics, humanities, and sociology, as well as three graduate schools....
in Tokyo and became its President. In 1969 he was awarded the Order of Culture
Order of Culture
The is a Japanese order, established on February 11, 1937. The order has one class only, and may be awarded to men and women for contributions to Japan's art, literature or culture; recipients of the order also receive an annuity for life...
of Japan.
In 1977 Kenjiro Shoda died unexpectedly while driving with his family.
Legacy
Kenjiro Shoda married twice. His first wife was Tami Hirayama, the daughter of astronomer Makoto Hirayama. He fathered one son and two daughters during this marriage. After the death of his first wife, Shoda married Sadako Ito, daughter of Eisaburo Ito, an engineering scientist and professor at Kyushu UniversityKyushu University
Kyushu University is one of the most prestigious universities in Japan. It can be seen in the several rankings such as shown below.-General Rankings:The university has been ranked 8th in 2010 and 2009 in the ranking "Truly Strong Universities" by Toyo Keizai...
. The remarried couple had one son.
After his death, his family contributed a part of his legacy to some academic institutions including Osaka University. Osaka University used the money to make a small garden near to two of his former workplaces: the Faculty of Science and the Faculty of Engineering Science and named it after him. "Shoda Garden", a silent cozy space, is at the corner of main street of the campus, beside the building of the Cyber Media Center at Toyonaka, backed by dense bamboo woods. Sometimes people at Toyonaka hold their parties there, like a welcoming party for freshmen, or a barbecue
Barbecue
Barbecue or barbeque , used chiefly in the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, New Zealand and Australia is a method and apparatus for cooking meat, poultry and occasionally fish with the heat and hot smoke of a fire, smoking wood, or hot coals of...
just for fun and communication.
Empress Michiko
Empress Michiko of Japan
Empress Michiko of Japan is the wife and consort of Emperor Akihito, the current monarch of Japan. She was the first commoner to marry into the Japanese Imperial Family. As crown princess and later as empress consort, she has become the most visible and widely-travelled imperial consort in...
is one of his nieces.