Tatsujiro Shimizu   --> Japanese version

PORTRAIT | LIFE | PAPERS (in English)

The following article is a quotation from page 2 of Mathematica Japonica, Vol. 40, No. 1, Whole number 166.


A sketch of the life of Dr. Shimizu

    In 1897, born in Tokyo. In 1924, graduated from the Department of Mathematics, School of Science, Tokyo Imperial University and continued his work at the same department as a staff member.
    He opened a new way to the generalization of Nevanlinna's theory in meromorphic functions and established the famous theorem in the theory of meromorphic functions, called Shimizu-Ahlfors theorem later on. In addition, with the idea of function group, he attained a profound result on the construction of Riemann surface of meromorphic functions.
    In 1932, he became professor of Osaka Imperial Univeristy and contributed to the establishment of the Department of Mathematics in the School of Science. At this stage, he became interested in the field of applied mathematics based upon his pure mathematical potentialities, especially in mathematical methods in science and technology, non-linear oscillations, existence conditions of limit cycles, numerical analysis, artificial intelligence, and computation machines and devices.
    On the other hand, he recognized the importance of publishing a new mathematical journal to put on qualified papers of pure and applied mathematics in general, when the publication of mathematical papers was so difficult, besides the journal of mathematical society of Japan. Actually, he started the publication of the journal "Mathematica Japonicae" using his own fund in 1948.
    In 1949, he left Osaka University and became professor of Kobe University. Around this time, he became interested in operations research and mathematics in management sciences, and also probability theory and mathematical statistics.
    In 1951, he moved again to professor of mathematical sciences of University of Osaka Prefecture and continued the publication of Mathematica Japonicae. On the other hand he continued his work on the artificial intelligence, especially solving arithmetic problems via electronic computer. Also, he continued his research work on the nonlinear oscillations.
    In 1961, he became professor of Science University of Tokyo. There, he continued his effort of research work in applied analysis, especially in nonlinear oscillations, pursuit of solutions of ordinary differential equations, and the pursuit of numerical solutions.
    Every time, he talked at the meeting of Mathematical Society of Japan, until 90 years of his age.
    In between this period, Japanese Association of Mathematical Sciences was established and "Mathematica Japonica" became published by this Association. Now, Mathematica Japonica became an international journal of mathematical sciences in its broader sense, circulating in the world, with international advisors and referees. Such a development of Mathematica Japonica is due to the freedom and borderless idea of mathematics of Dr. Shimizu.
    He passed away in Uji City, Kyoto Prefecture, on November 8, 1992, with the age 95.

June 30, 1994

    Hiroshi Sugiyama
    Professor Emeritus
    Osaka University
Update: Jan. 17, 2000
Maintained by webmaster@jams.or.jp