Today, we are delighted to launch The Journal of The Math3ma Institute, a new home for expository articles on research in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) written for the ambitious layperson with interests in these fields of study. A digital edition of our first issue is now freely available at www.math3ma.institute/journal.

We are also pleased to share the release of a new promotional video, which includes a brief description of the journal and other activities from the Institute:

About the Journal

Prospective contributors to The Journal of The Math3ma Institute include faculty members of The Master’s University as well as scholars and research scientists from other institutions who wish to make their work accessible to broad audiences.

Our inaugural issue, for example, contains articles on original peer-reviewed research in both computer science and pure mathematics targeted at non-experts. Imitation Learning: The Machine Learning Version of Discipleship by Dr. Monica B. Vroman gives a friendly introduction to and overview of machine learning, a subfield of artificial intelligence, and hones in on a particular framework called imitation learning. The content of the article is based on Dr. Vroman’s PhD thesis, and the article itself is an accessible invitation to her scholarly work in this field. My article A New Perspective of Entropy similarly seeks to distill peer-reviewed research-level mathematics for a wide audience. It describes a new connection between information theory and two branches of higher mathematics known as abstract algebra and topology, and it details a new way to understand entropy from this perspective. Both articles are intended to illuminate and demystify interesting, yet technical, scientific work for the curious non-expert.

This naturally leads to the question of why. Why do we make an effort to distill complex scientific ideas for a broad audience? Our motivation is grounded in a biblical worldview and a Christ-centered perspective, which is a pillar of The Math3ma Institute. As mentioned in our Mission Statement, we cling to the truth that in Christ all things were created (Colossians 1:17), that He upholds all things by the word of His power (Hebrews 1:3), and that any endeavor to explore the wonders of creation finds its deepest and richest fulfillment in the acknowledgment of God as Creator (Genesis 1:1). At the same time, we understand the reality that the beauty and wonder of such discoveries are often inaccessible to lay audiences due to the high level of technicality and specialized language. As a result, those who are initially eager to engage in the sciences oftentimes become discouraged from doing so and even from entering the field altogether. These barriers may unintentionally convey the idea that STEM belongs to a select few and only to them. By communicating scholarly scientific work in engaging and accessible ways, we may help to break down the barriers that typically prevent others from seeing the simplicity and beauty of scientific discovery.

Accordingly, the journal also welcomes articles on Christian theology pertaining to STEM. Our first issue opens with The Queen of the Sciences: Reclaiming the Rightful Place of Theology and Creation  by TMU’s interim president Dr. Abner Chou, who expounds upon the doctrine of creation and its role in reclaiming theology as the queen of the sciences. We may further accept shorter submissions such as relevant book reviews or featured articles from select scholars. The issue shown above concludes with Christ in Creation, a featured article by TMU’s chancellor, Dr. John F. MacArthur, that connects the Genesis account of creation to the New Testament, with a special emphasis on the central role of Christ, the Word, detailed in John 1:1–5.

Our journal thus differs from existing academic outlets in its writing style (which is explanatory), its scope (which embraces all of STEM), and its motivation for both. It is our earnest prayer that every publication from The Journal of The Math3ma Institute would honor the Lord Jesus Christ and amplify the joy and hope available when the sciences are approached with the motivations described above.

This article was adapted from the Editorial of the inaugural issue of The Journal of The Math3ma Institute.