Fernando Q. Gouvêa - Böcker

The key feature at this conference was the 33 invited papers from the world's leading number theorists. Talks were in three sessions: analytical number theory; arithmetical algebraic geometry; and diophantive approximation. Speakers included: F.Beukers (University of Utrecht); R. Heath-Brown (Oxford); H.L. Montgomery (Ann Arbor, Michigan); T. Nakahara (Saga University, Japan); Y. Zarhin (Academy of Science, USSR).

There is now a large body of theory concerning algebraic varieties over finite fields, and many conjectures exist in this area that are of great interest to researchers in number theory and algebraic geometry. This book is concerned with the arithmetic of diagonal hypersurfaces over finite fields, with special focus on the Tate conjecture and the Lichtenbaum-Milne formula for the central value of the L-function. It combines theoretical and numerical work, and includes tables of Picard numbers. Although this book is aimed at experts, the authors have included some background material to help non-specialists gain access to the results.

Where did math come from? Who thought up all those algebra symbols, and why? What is the story behind $\pi$? ... negative numbers? ... the metric system? ... quadratic equations? ... sine and cosine? ... logs? The 30 independent historical sketches in Math through the Ages answer these questions and many others in an informal, easygoing style that is accessible to teachers, students, and anyone who is curious about the history of mathematical ideas. Each sketch includes Questions and Projects to help you learn more about its topic and to see how the main ideas fit into the bigger picture of history.The 30 short stories are preceded by a 58-page bird's-eye overview of the entire panorama of mathematical history, a whirlwind tour of the most important people, events, and trends that shaped the mathematics we know today. ""What to Read Next'' and reading suggestions after each sketch provide starting points for readers who want to learn more.This book is ideal for a broad spectrum of audiences, including students in history of mathematics courses at the late high school or early college level, pre-service and in-service teachers, and anyone who just wants to know a little more about the origins of mathematics.

In mathematics, technical difficulties can spark groundbreaking ideas. This book explores one such challenge: a problem that arose in the formative years of algebraic number theory and played a major role in the early development of the field. When nineteenth-century mathematicians set out to generalize E. E. Kummer's theory of ideal divisors in cyclotomic fields, they discovered that the existence of ""common inessential discriminant divisors"" blocked the obvious path. Through extensively annotated translations of key papers, this book traces how Richard Dedekind, Leopold Kronecker, and Kurt Hensel approached these divisors, using them to justify the need for entirely new mathematical ideas and to demonstrate their power. Mathematicians interested in algebraic number theory will enjoy seeing what the field, which is still evolving today, looked like in its very early days. Historians of mathematics will find interesting questions for further study. Engaging and carefully researched, Common Inessential Discriminant Divisors is both a historical study and an invitation to experience mathematics as it was first discovered.

There are numbers of all kinds: rational, real, complex, p-adic, and more. The p-adic numbers are not as well known as the others, but they play a fundamental role in number theory and in other parts of mathematics, capturing information related to a chosen prime number p. They also allow us to use methods from calculus and analysis to obtain results in algebra and number theory.This book is an elementary introduction to p-adic numbers. Most other books on the subject are written for more advanced students; this book provides an entryway to the subject for students with an undergraduate mathematics education. Readers who want to have an idea of and appreciation for the subject will probably find what they need in this book. Readers on the way to becoming experts can begin here before moving on to more advanced texts.This third edition has been thoroughly revised to correct mistakes, make the exposition clearer, and call attention to significant aspects that are usually reserved for advanced books. The most important addition is the integration of mathematical software for computations with p-adic numbers and functions. A final chapter includes a selection of problems for further exploration.From the reviews of the first and second editions:"Perhaps the most suitable text for beginners" - The Mathematical Gazette"This text perfectly fulfills what it proposes" - Mathematical Reviews"An extraordinarily nice manner to introduce the uninitiated to the subject" - Mededelingen van het wiskundig genootschap"If I had to recommend one book on the subject to a student – or even to a fully grown mathematician ...– it would still be this book" - MAA Reviews

This concise textbook introduces calculus students to power series through an informal and captivating narrative that avoids formal proofs but emphasizes understanding the fundamental ideas.

This concise textbook introduces calculus students to power series through an informal and captivating narrative that avoids formal proofs but emphasizes understanding the fundamental ideas.