Famous Functions in Number Theory

Famous Functions in Number Theory
Author: Bowen Kerins
Publisher: American Mathematical Soc.
Total Pages: 203
Release: 2015-10-15
Genre: Education
ISBN: 147042195X

Designed for precollege teachers by a collaborative of teachers, educators, and mathematicians, Famous Functions in Number Theory is based on a course offered in the Summer School Teacher Program at the Park City Mathematics Institute. But this book isn't a "course" in the traditional sense. It consists of a carefully sequenced collection of problem sets designed to develop several interconnected mathematical themes, and one of the goals of the problem sets is for readers to uncover these themes for themselves. Famous Functions in Number Theory introduces readers to the use of formal algebra in number theory. Through numerical experiments, participants learn how to use polynomial algebra as a bookkeeping mechanism that allows them to count divisors, build multiplicative functions, and compile multiplicative functions in a certain way that produces new ones. One capstone of the investigations is a beautiful result attributed to Fermat that determines the number of ways a positive integer can be written as a sum of two perfect squares. Famous Functions in Number Theory is a volume of the book series "IAS/PCMI-The Teacher Program Series" published by the American Mathematical Society. Each volume in that series covers the content of one Summer School Teacher Program year and is independent of the rest. Titles in this series are co-published with the Institute for Advanced Study/Park City Mathematics Institute. Members of the Mathematical Association of America (MAA) and the National Council of Teachers of Mathematics (NCTM) receive a 20% discount from list price.

Number Theory in Mathematics Education

Number Theory in Mathematics Education
Author: Rina Zazkis
Publisher: Routledge
Total Pages: 306
Release: 2012-10-12
Genre: Education
ISBN: 1136501436

This book offers multiple interconnected perspectives on the largely untapped potential of elementary number theory for mathematics education: its formal and cognitive nature, its relation to arithmetic and algebra, its accessibility, its utility and intrinsic merits, to name just a few. Its purpose is to promote explication and critical dialogue about these issues within the international mathematics education community. The studies comprise a variety of pedagogical and research orientations by an international group of researchers that, collectively, make a compelling case for the relevance and importance of number theory in mathematics education in both pre K-16 settings and mathematics teacher education. Topics variously engaged include: *understanding particular concepts related to numerical structure and number theory; *elaborating on the historical and psychological relevance of number theory in concept development; *attaining a smooth transition and extension from pattern recognition to formative principles; *appreciating the aesthetics of number structure; *exploring its suitability in terms of making connections leading to aha! insights and reaching toward the learner's affective domain; *reexamining previously constructed knowledge from a novel angle; *investigating connections between technique and theory; *utilizing computers and calculators as pedagogical tools; and *generally illuminating the role number theory concepts could play in developing mathematical knowledge and reasoning in students and teachers. Overall, the chapters of this book highlight number theory-related topics as a stepping-stone from arithmetic toward generalization and algebraic formalism, and as a means for providing intuitively grounded meanings of numbers, variables, functions, and proofs. Number Theory in Mathematics Education: Perspectives and Prospects is of interest to researchers, teacher educators, and students in the field of mathematics education, and is well suited as a text for upper-level mathematics education courses.

Number Theory

Number Theory
Author: Helmut Koch
Publisher: American Mathematical Soc.
Total Pages: 390
Release: 2000
Genre: Mathematics
ISBN: 9780821820544

Algebraic number theory is one of the most refined creations in mathematics. It has been developed by some of the leading mathematicians of this and previous centuries. The primary goal of this book is to present the essential elements of algebraic number theory, including the theory of normal extensions up through a glimpse of class field theory. Following the example set for us by Kronecker, Weber, Hilbert and Artin, algebraic functions are handled here on an equal footing with algebraic numbers. This is done on the one hand to demonstrate the analogy between number fields and function fields, which is especially clear in the case where the ground field is a finite field. On the other hand, in this way one obtains an introduction to the theory of 'higher congruences' as an important element of 'arithmetic geometry'. Early chapters discuss topics in elementary number theory, such as Minkowski's geometry of numbers, public-key cryptography and a short proof of the Prime Number Theorem, following Newman and Zagier. Next, some of the tools of algebraic number theory are introduced, such as ideals, discriminants and valuations. These results are then applied to obtain results about function fields, including a proof of the Riemann-Roch Theorem and, as an application of cyclotomic fields, a proof of the first case of Fermat's Last Theorem. There are a detailed exposition of the theory of Hecke $L$-series, following Tate, and explicit applications to number theory, such as the Generalized Riemann Hypothesis. Chapter 9 brings together the earlier material through the study of quadratic number fields. Finally, Chapter 10 gives an introduction to class field theory. The book attempts as much as possible to give simple proofs. It can be used by a beginner in algebraic number theory who wishes to see some of the true power and depth of the subject. The book is suitable for two one-semester courses, with the first four chapters serving to develop the basic material. Chapters 6 through 9 could be used on their own as a second semester course.

Number Theory in Function Fields

Number Theory in Function Fields
Author: Michael Rosen
Publisher: Springer Science & Business Media
Total Pages: 355
Release: 2013-04-18
Genre: Mathematics
ISBN: 1475760469

Early in the development of number theory, it was noticed that the ring of integers has many properties in common with the ring of polynomials over a finite field. The first part of this book illustrates this relationship by presenting analogues of various theorems. The later chapters probe the analogy between global function fields and algebraic number fields. Topics include the ABC-conjecture, Brumer-Stark conjecture, and Drinfeld modules.

Number Theory Through Inquiry

Number Theory Through Inquiry
Author: David C. Marshall
Publisher: MAA
Total Pages: 151
Release: 2007
Genre: Education
ISBN: 0883857510

Number Theory Through Inquiry; is an innovative textbook that leads students on a carefully guided discovery of introductory number theory. The book has two equally significant goals. One goal is to help students develop mathematical thinking skills, particularly, theorem-proving skills. The other goal is to help students understand some of the wonderfully rich ideas in the mathematical study of numbers. This book is appropriate for a proof transitions course, for an independent study experience, or for a course designed as an introduction to abstract mathematics. Math or related majors, future teachers, and students or adults interested in exploring mathematical ideas on their own will enjoy; Number Theory Through Inquiry; Number theory is the perfect topic for an introduction-to-proofs course. Every college student is familiar with basic properties of numbers, and yet the exploration of those familiar numbers leads us to a rich landscape of ideas. Number Theory Through Inquiry contains a carefully arranged sequence of challenges that lead students to discover ideas about numbers and to discover methods of proof on their own. It is designed to be used with an instructional technique variously called guided discovery or Modified Moore Method or Inquiry Based Learning (IBL). Instructors materials explain the instructional method. This style of instruction gives students a totally different experience compared to a standard lecture course. Here is the effect of this experience: Students learn to think independently: they learn to depend on their own reasoning to determine right from wrong; and theydevelop the central, important ideas of introductory number theory on their own. From that experience, they learn that they can personally create important ideas. They develop an attitude of personal reliance and a sense that they can think effectively about difficult problems. These goals are fundamental to the educational enterprise within and beyond mathematics.

Elements of the Theory of Numbers

Elements of the Theory of Numbers
Author: Joseph B. Dence
Publisher: Academic Press
Total Pages: 542
Release: 1999-01-20
Genre: Mathematics
ISBN: 9780122091308

Elements of the Theory of Numbers teaches students how to develop, implement, and test numerical methods for standard mathematical problems. The authors have created a two-pronged pedagogical approach that integrates analysis and algebra with classical number theory. Making greater use of the language and concepts in algebra and analysis than is traditionally encountered in introductory courses, this pedagogical approach helps to instill in the minds of the students the idea of the unity of mathematics. Elements of the Theory of Numbers is a superb summary of classical material as well as allowing the reader to take a look at the exciting role of analysis and algebra in number theory. * In-depth coverage of classical number theory * Thorough discussion of the theory of groups and rings * Includes application of Taylor polynomials * Contains more advanced material than other texts * Illustrates the results of a theorem with an example * Excellent presentation of the standard computational exercises * Nearly 1000 problems--many are proof-oriented, several others require the writing of computer programs to complete the computations * Clear and well-motivated presentation * Provides historical references noting distinguished number theory luminaries such as Euclid, de Fermat, Hilbert, Brun, and Lehmer, to name a few * Annotated bibliographies appear at the end of all of the chapters

How Students Learn

How Students Learn
Author: National Research Council
Publisher: National Academies Press
Total Pages: 633
Release: 2005-01-23
Genre: Education
ISBN: 0309074339

How do you get a fourth-grader excited about history? How do you even begin to persuade high school students that mathematical functions are relevant to their everyday lives? In this volume, practical questions that confront every classroom teacher are addressed using the latest exciting research on cognition, teaching, and learning. How Students Learn: History, Mathematics, and Science in the Classroom builds on the discoveries detailed in the bestselling How People Learn. Now, these findings are presented in a way that teachers can use immediately, to revitalize their work in the classroom for even greater effectiveness. Organized for utility, the book explores how the principles of learning can be applied in teaching history, science, and math topics at three levels: elementary, middle, and high school. Leading educators explain in detail how they developed successful curricula and teaching approaches, presenting strategies that serve as models for curriculum development and classroom instruction. Their recounting of personal teaching experiences lends strength and warmth to this volume. The book explores the importance of balancing students' knowledge of historical fact against their understanding of concepts, such as change and cause, and their skills in assessing historical accounts. It discusses how to build straightforward science experiments into true understanding of scientific principles. And it shows how to overcome the difficulties in teaching math to generate real insight and reasoning in math students. It also features illustrated suggestions for classroom activities. How Students Learn offers a highly useful blend of principle and practice. It will be important not only to teachers, administrators, curriculum designers, and teacher educators, but also to parents and the larger community concerned about children's education.