Elementary number theory in nine chapters

James J. Tattersall9780521585033, 0-521-58503-1, 0521585317

This book serves as a one-semester introductory course in number theory. Throughout the book, Tattersall adopts a historical perspective and gives emphasis to some of the subject’s applied aspects, highlighting the field of cryptography. At the heart of the book are the major number theoretic accomplishments of Euclid, Fermat, Gauss, Legendre, and Euler, and to fully illustrate the properties of numbers and concepts developed in the text, a wealth of exercises has been included. The reader should have “pencil in hand” and ready access to a calculator or computer. For students new to number theory, whatever their background, this is a stimulating and entertaining introduction to the subject.