How Mathematical Statistics had been Migrated into Japan : A Case of Correlation Coefficient

スウリ　トウケイガク　ハ　ニホン　ニ　ドノヨウニ　イニュウ　サレタカ　ソウカン　ケイスウ　ノ　ケース

タケウチ, ヨシユキ

Takeuchi, Yoshiyuki

The Economic Society of Osaka University　and　Graduate School of Economics, Osaka University

オオサカ　ダイガク　ケイザイ　ガッカイ オオサカ　ダイガク　ダインガクイン　ケイザイガク　ケンキュウカ

数理統計学

移入

統計学史

correlation coefficient

mathematical statistics

migration

history of statistical thought

This paper studies introducing and installing process of mathematical statistics, which was born from the end of the 19th century to the beginning of the 20th century, into Japan with an interest of correlation coefficients. From the perspective of "migration" that allows science and technology to interact with the culture and society of the destination, rather than being "imported" unilaterally, following three are examined; (1) How western statistics textbooks since the end of the 19th century had introduced the correlation coefficient ?, (2) migration status of the correlation coefficient into Japan by academic field based on bibliographic information, and (3) the migrating process of the correlation coefficient in economic statistics, pedagogy, and meteorology was considered. As a result, it was confirmed that the correlation coefficient had introduced in the statistics textbook after Davenport (1899). It was also confirmed that the introduction of the concept of correlation and the correlation coefficient into Japan had begun around 1910. It should be noted that it started from the applied fields of psychology, pedagogy, agriculture, and meteorology before mathematics, and seemed to have spread in the Taisho era. Regarding the migrating process the correlation coefficient, it was confirmed that the information acquisition route for economic statistics was based on foreign literature, and the information acquisition route for pedagogy was based on study abroad system. Furthermore, analysis of the migrating process in meteorology revealed that an international network of specialists engaged in specialized work began to form from the end of the Meiji era. That is a third information acquisition and exchange route of new science and technology into Japan.