A Primer of Analytic Number Theory: From Pythagoras to Riemann - Softcover

Stopple, Jeffrey

Softcover

ISBN 10: 0521012538 ISBN 13: 9780521012539

Publisher: Cambridge University Press, 2003

Synopsis

This undergraduate-level introduction describes those mathematical properties of prime numbers that can be deduced with the tools of calculus. Jeffrey Stopple pays special attention to the rich history of the subject and ancient questions on polygonal numbers, perfect numbers and amicable pairs, as well as to the important open problems. The culmination of the book is a brief presentation of the Riemann zeta function, which determines the distribution of prime numbers, and of the significance of the Riemann Hypothesis.

About this title

Book Description

This undergraduate-level introduction describes those mathematical properties of prime numbers that can be deduced with the tools of calculus. The author pays special attention to the rich history of the subject and ancient questions on polygonal numbers, perfect numbers and amicable pairs, as well as to the important open problems (some of which have million dollar prizes). The capstone of the book is a brief presentation of the Riemann zeta function, which determines the distribution of prime numbers, and of the significance of the Riemann Hypothesis.

Review

"The book is interesting and, for a mathematics text, lively.... Stopple has done a particularly nice job with illustrations and tables that support the discussions in the chapters."
Chris Christensen, School Science and Mathematics

"... this is a well-written book at the level of senior undergraduates."
SIAM Review
"The book constitutes an excellent undergraduate introduction to classical analytical number theory. The author develops the subject from the very beginning in an extremely good and readable style. Although a wide variety of topics are presented in the book, the author has successfully placed a rich historical background to each of the discussed themes, which makes the text very lively ... the text contains a rich supplement of exercises, brief sketches of more advanced ideas and extensive graphical support. The book can be recommended as a very good first introductory reading for all those who are seriously interested in analytical number theory."
EMS Newsletter
"... a very readable account."
Mathematika
"The general style is user-friendly and interactive ... a well presented and stimulating informal introduction to a wide range of topics ..."
Proceedings of the Edinburgh Mathematical Society

Edition details

• Publisher: Cambridge University Press
• Publication date: 2003
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 0521012538
• ISBN 13: 9780521012539
• Binding: Paperback
• Edition number: 1
• Number of pages: 400