| Unit name | Number Theory |
|---|---|
| Unit code | MATH30200 |
| Credit points | 20 |
| Level of study | H/6 |
| Teaching block(s) |
Teaching Block 2 (weeks 13 - 24) |
| Unit director | Professor. Wooley |
| Open unit status | Not open |
| Pre-requisites |
Level 1 Pure Mathematics |
| Co-requisites |
None |
| School/department | School of Mathematics |
| Faculty | Faculty of Science |
Number theory concerns itself with the properties of the integers and rational numbers, although aspects of real and complex numbers, algebraic curves, matrices etc are also considered. The subject has a long history, as long as mathematics itself, and is as actively researched today as at any time in the past. Number theory is not an organised theory in the usual sense, but a vast collection of individual topics and results, with some coherent subtheories and a long list of unresolved problems. The unit syllabus varies from year to year but it always includes some basic material on divisibility and congruences, quadratic residues and reciprocity law, multiplicative functions and sums of squares. Option parts include quadratic forms, prime number theory and arithmetic of elliptic curves.
