May 26 (News On Japan) - A Kobe University professor has solved one of the most perplexing unsolved problems in applied mathematics, opening the door to technologies once thought impossible. Kenjiro Kimura, who also serves as CEO of Integral Geometry Science, proved a global inverse problem in wave scattering theory—a feat no one had accomplished before—and used it to develop what is being called the world's first non-invasive internal imaging technology.
This advancement could lead to revolutionary applications, including pain-free breast cancer screening and even technology to detect and prevent the explosive failures of lithium-ion batteries, a growing fire hazard worldwide.
At the heart of Kimura’s work is the so-called inverse problem of wave scattering—determining the shape and properties of an object based only on how waves scatter after hitting it. Though the concept is simple—send waves, measure how they scatter, then reconstruct the object’s interior—the mathematical underpinnings are immensely complex. Kimura spent ten years developing a proof that accurately models how wave patterns interact with hidden objects in space. Using this model, waves bouncing off internal structures can be translated into visible images, creating a kind of "mathematical X-ray."
In a televised discussion with novelist Jin Mayama, Kimura explained the breakthrough using diagrams and equations, though even the host admitted it was difficult to grasp. Kimura likened the process to transmitting and receiving waves across space, then combining all the returning signals into a readable pattern. What once seemed like impossible noise became, in Kimura’s hands, a solvable puzzle with real-world impact.
While many associate mathematicians with abstract thinking and numerical theory, Kimura views mathematics as a tool to make invisible phenomena visible. He insists that creating usable technology is not just a personal mission but a form of artistic expression. His equations, he says, are not just calculations but “works of art.” He recalled the moment he discovered the solution with disbelief: "I thought, this can’t be right," he said, describing the thrill of verifying the result and realizing its potential.
Kimura’s inventions are now moving from theory into global use, with commercialization already underway. But more than fame or fortune, Kimura emphasizes a deeper motivation: he wants his work to be used and appreciated. "All of it is a masterpiece," he said. "If someone insults the work, I’ll get angry. I’d rather take it back than have it misused."
He sees the next 1,000 years as unlikely to produce a better equation, and yet insists his motivation is not ego but conviction—proof that mathematical brilliance, when matched with a vision for the real world, can reshape the future.
Source: テレ東BIZ
