, ▁rather ▁than ▁applying ▁previous ▁tools ▁to ▁new ▁problems . ▁ ▁Meanwhile , ▁a ▁new ▁coh ort ▁of ▁sch ol ars ▁trained ▁in ▁the ▁mathematical ▁methods ▁of ▁the ▁physical ▁sciences ▁ ▁grav itated ▁to ▁econom ics , ▁advoc ating ▁and ▁applying ▁those ▁methods ▁to ▁their ▁subject , ▁and ▁described ▁today ▁as ▁moving ▁from ▁geometry ▁to ▁mechan ics . ▁These ▁included ▁W . S . ▁Je v ons ▁who ▁presented ▁paper ▁on ▁a ▁" general ▁mathematical ▁theory ▁of ▁political ▁economy " ▁in ▁ 1 8 6 2 , ▁providing ▁an ▁outline ▁for ▁use ▁of ▁the ▁theory ▁of ▁marg inal ▁utility ▁in ▁political ▁economy . ▁ ▁In ▁ 1 8 7 1 , ▁he ▁published ▁The ▁Princi ples ▁of ▁Political ▁Econom y , ▁declaring ▁that ▁ ▁the ▁subject ▁as ▁science ▁" must ▁be ▁mathematical ▁simply ▁because ▁it ▁de als ▁with ▁quantities ." ▁Je v ons ▁expected ▁that ▁only ▁collection ▁of ▁statistics ▁for ▁price ▁and ▁quantities ▁would ▁permit ▁the ▁subject ▁as ▁presented ▁to ▁become ▁an ▁exact ▁science . ▁ ▁O thers ▁preced ed ▁and ▁followed ▁in ▁expand ing ▁mathematical ▁representations ▁of ▁ ▁economic ▁problems . ▁ ▁Marg inal ists ▁and ▁the ▁roots ▁of ▁ne oc lass ical ▁econom ics ▁ ▁August in ▁Cour not ▁and ▁Lé on ▁Wal ras ▁built ▁the ▁tools ▁of ▁the ▁discipline ▁ax iom atically ▁around ▁utility , ▁arg uing ▁that ▁individuals ▁sought ▁to ▁maxim ize ▁their ▁utility ▁across ▁choices ▁in ▁a ▁way ▁that ▁could ▁be ▁described ▁mathemat ically . ▁ ▁At ▁the ▁time , ▁it ▁was ▁thought ▁that ▁utility ▁was ▁quant ifiable