Number Theory

A Friendly Introduction to Number Theory

Name: A Friendly Introduction to Number Theory
Author: Joseph H. Silverman
ISBN: 9780321816191

by Joseph H. Silverman

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Overview

A Friendly Introduction to Number Theory, Fourth Edition is designed to introduce readers to the overall themes and methodology of mathematics through the detailed study of one particular facet—number theory. Starting with nothing more than basic high school algebra, readers are gradually led to the point of actively performing mathematical research while getting a glimpse of current mathematical frontiers. The writing is appropriate for the undergraduate audience and includes many numerical examples, which are analyzed for patterns and used to make conjectures. Emphasis is on the methods used for proving theorems rather than on specific results.

About the Author, Joseph H. Silverman

Joseph H. Silverman is a Professor of Mathematics at Brown University. He received his Sc.B. at Brown and his Ph.D. at Harvard, after which he held positions at MIT and Boston University before joining the Brown faculty in 1988. He has published more than 100 peer-reviewed research articles and seven books in the fields of number theory, elliptic curves, arithmetic geometry, arithmetic dynamical systems, and cryptography. He is a highly regarded teacher, having won teaching awards from Brown University and the Mathematical Association of America, as well as a Steele Prize for Mathematical Exposition from the American Mathematical Society. He has supervised the theses of more than 25 Ph.D. students, is a co-founder of NTRU Cryptosystems, Inc., and has served as an elected member of the American Mathematical Society Council and Executive Committee.

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Editorials

Booknews

Silverman (Brown U.) originally wrote the book as a text for a course designed to attract non-science majors with little interest in pursuing the standard calculus sequence, and convince them to study some college mathematics. He expects readers to have some facility with high school algebra and access to a calculator, though he points out that those who know how to program a computer have great fun generating reams of data and implementing assorted algorithms. He mentions concepts from calculus now and then, but does not lay them down as barriers to cross. The first edition appeared in 1997. Annotation c. Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com)