An Introduction to Number Theory

Description

The majority of students who take courses in number theory are mathematics majors who will not become number theorists. Many of them will, however, teach mathematics at the high school or junior college level, and this book is intended for those students learning to teach, in addition to a careful presentation of the standard material usually taught in a first course in elementary number theory, this book includes a chapter on quadratic fields which the author has designed to make students think about some of the “obvious” concepts they have taken for granted earlier. The book also includes a large number of exercises, many of which are nonstandard.Stark has written a delightful leisurely account of elementary number theory with little or no ideal theoretic premeditation, included an abundant supply of great exercises, and ended with an exciting chapter on quadratic number fields.—K.F. Ireland, American Mathematical Society Monthly—

…this book will furnish the student, the teacher and the specialist alike with new methods and new insights into number theory. It is a welcome addition to the literature.

—A.L. Whitman, Reviews of the American Mathematical Society—US