, ▁an ▁early ▁economic ▁application ▁of ▁mathematical ▁optimization . ▁Econom ics ▁became ▁more ▁mathematical ▁as ▁a ▁discipline ▁throughout ▁the ▁first ▁half ▁of ▁the ▁ 2 0 th ▁century , ▁but ▁introduction ▁of ▁new ▁and ▁generalized ▁techniques ▁in ▁the ▁period ▁around ▁the ▁Second ▁World ▁War , ▁as ▁in ▁game ▁theory , ▁would ▁greatly ▁bro aden ▁the ▁use ▁of ▁mathematical ▁form ulations ▁in ▁econom ics . ▁ ▁This ▁rapid ▁system at izing ▁of ▁econom ics ▁al ar med ▁critics ▁of ▁the ▁discipline ▁as ▁well ▁as ▁some ▁noted ▁econom ists . ▁ ▁John ▁May n ard ▁Ke yn es , ▁Robert ▁Heil br on er , ▁Friedrich ▁Hay ek ▁and ▁others ▁have ▁critic ized ▁the ▁broad ▁use ▁of ▁mathematical ▁models ▁for ▁human ▁behavior , ▁arg uing ▁that ▁some ▁human ▁choices ▁are ▁ir reducible ▁to ▁mathematics . ▁ ▁History ▁ ▁The ▁use ▁of ▁mathematics ▁in ▁the ▁service ▁of ▁social ▁and ▁economic ▁analysis ▁dates ▁back ▁to ▁the ▁ 1 7 th ▁century . ▁ ▁Then , ▁mainly ▁in ▁German ▁univers ities , ▁a ▁style ▁of ▁instruction ▁emer ged ▁which ▁de alt ▁specifically ▁with ▁detailed ▁presentation ▁of ▁data ▁as ▁it ▁related ▁to ▁public ▁administration . ▁ ▁Gott fried ▁A chen wall ▁lect ured ▁in ▁this ▁fashion , ▁co ining ▁the ▁term ▁statistics . ▁ ▁At ▁the ▁same ▁time , ▁a ▁small ▁group ▁of ▁profess ors ▁in ▁England ▁established ▁a ▁method ▁of ▁" reason ing ▁by ▁figures ▁upon ▁things ▁rel ating ▁to ▁government " ▁and ▁referred ▁to ▁this ▁practice ▁as ▁Political ▁Ar ithmet ick . ▁ ▁Sir ▁William ▁Pet ty