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ABSTRACT:
This paper examines the impact of the study of mathematics on the solution of unemployment in
Nigeria, by relating the course to the most touching areas of economic importance. The paper is
aimed at stimulating people in the academia and other fields, to appreciate mathematics and adopt
its findings in solving critical problems; which without it (mathematics), the problems will persist.
INTRODUCTION:
The global economic crises receives serious attention and concern from scholars and researchers
from different fields of human endeavor. Mathematics, being the most diverse field of study,
cannot be an exception. This paper therefore, looks at mathematics as it relates to the following
fields:
ECONOMIC ANALYSIS ACTUARY:
The foregoing discussion, as the title indicates, is centered on economic solution to unemployment
in Nigeria. So, the paper will look at the employment of mathematical tools in economic analysis.
Modern researchers and analysts in economics, will have to appreciate the use of mathematical
tools, to achieve better and effective findings in the field. Mathematics is required in the control
of cash flow, budget and income statement, which will help government in controlling the
economy (Udonsa, 2015). The economic field has recorded, and will of course, continue to witness
a number of changes in trend in its demand for mathematical tools, ranging from integral calculus,
numerical analysis, to more complex areas such as game theory, functional analysis, optimal
control, nonlinear programming and the likes. These areas coupled with the works of early
mathematicians like Augustin Cournot, Leon Walras and Francis Ysidro Edgeworth gave rise to a
new area in Economics known as Econometrics, during the World War II (Tinne Hoff Kjelsden).
Actuarial field is concerned with the analysis of population data and its effect on development. To
be employed in the field, one needs a deep knowledge of sophisticated theoretical and applied
mathematical tools. This point is very important, as the National Population Commission prepares,
for the upcoming 2017 National Census. There is a need to deploy people with Mathematical skills
to ensure an accurate collection and analysis of data for use in national planning, which will at the
end lead to achieving the objectives of the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs). Moreover,
Gross Domestic Product (GDP), which is the basis for calculating national development, requires
the application of statistical tools. So, a person to be employed to complete these tasks needs an
extensive knowledge of mathematics. In the near future, there will be no need for house-house
census/enumeration, as currently, many researchers in mathematical sciences are working to come
up with a tangible population model to be used, as is practiced in the developed countries like
America.
INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY:
The 21st century has been titled ‘the ICT generation’, thus application of computer and other
modern means of communication are in a high demand. This area is one of the most fundamental
areas that witness great contributions from mathematicians. The adoption of nanotechnology,
Differential Interference Contrast (DIC), are based on the applications of Differential operators
and linear programming, by employing critical thinking and logic techniques, deductive and
inductive reasoning (i.e. proofs and mathematical inductions) such as strength and weakness of
alternative solutions to equations. With the advent of internet banking, a hyper sensitive security
system is required in encoding and decoding information. This necessitates the need for a very
strong and reliable way of information transfer, and so, mathematicians were able to work
extensively in an area known as cryptology.
Other areas of mathematics that have direct application on computer and information technology
include but not limited to; stochastic, Markov fields, numerical analysis, PDE, graph theory, image
analysis and wavelets to mention a few. The future of the World Wide Web (www) will in the
future depend solemnly on mathematical researches, in areas such as number theory, discrete
mathematics, dynamical systems etc. (Masanja 2012)
SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY:
The application of mathematics is mostly seen in areas of Pure Sciences and Engineering
Technology. The employment of Mathematical knowledge to solve critical and most complex
problems in science and technology cannot be over emphasized. This is apparent, considering the
rise of new disciplines in mathematics such as Operational Research, Linear and Nonlinear
Programming and the likes.
We are aware of applications of Mathematics to Engineering, such as Laplace Transforms, Hankel
Transforms as well as the continuous usage of Ordinary and Partial Differential Equations to solve
problems in Civil Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, Electrical and Computer Engineering,
Materials Science, as well as emerging fields such as Mechatronics and Aerospace Engineering.
Further researches in Mathematics will with time, lead to exploration of more areas unknown to
the people outside the discipline. Such areas include Rheology, Aerodynamics, and Lie Theory.
CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATION:
Though, the article is only able to touch the fewest areas of mathematical sciences that has direct
applications to real-life problems, it is worth noting that the discipline is by far, the most applicable
ever in human history, and the knowledge of mathematics will continue to grow exponentially, as
its demand is unboundedly increasingly. There is a need to introduce educative programs in our
schools to train a new generation of critical minds, to face the arising global challenges in different
fields of human endeavor.