Number Theory

The study of integers, prime structure, Diophantine equations, and L-functions.


foundation tier

Number Theory. The study of integers, prime structure, Diophantine equations, and L-functions. The literature on number theory divides naturally along several axes: the foundational structures that organise the subject, the techniques that drive proofs and computations, the questions about classification or representation that animate current research, and the bridges to neighbouring areas of mathematics and science. The references below trace those axes through the canonical textbook treatments and recent technical contributions.

Foundations and canonical references

The standard treatments of number theory approach the subject from complementary angles. Hardy, An Introduction to the Theory of Numbers (1979) is the anchor reference for the subject and lays out the core definitions, theorems, and worked examples that practitioners return to. Ireland, A Classical Introduction to Modern Number Theory (1990) gives a parallel, more proof-oriented exposition of the same material and is widely used as a graduate text. Borevich, Number Theory (1986) offers an alternative presentation that complements the primary references and is useful for triangulating definitions and proof techniques.

Open methodological questions for number theory include sharpening the bridges between foundational theory and computational practice, extending classical results to broader or more structured settings, and integrating the techniques surveyed above with adjacent mathematical disciplines. The references listed in this page are the entry points that current work builds on.

Prerequisites

Sources

  • textbook · primary · 1979
    An Introduction to the Theory of Numbers
    hardy-1979, wright-1979
  • textbook · primary · 1990
    A Classical Introduction to Modern Number Theory
    ireland-1990, rosen-1990
  • textbook · supporting · 1986
    Number Theory
    borevich-1986, shafarevich-1986

In context

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  1. 01

    Elementary Number Theory

    Divisibility, congruences, arithmetic functions, and basic primes.

  2. 02

    Quadratic Forms and Reciprocity

    Quadratic residues, Gauss reciprocity, and class numbers.

  3. 03

    Analytic Number Theory

    Complex analysis applied to prime distribution and L-functions.

  4. 04

    Algebraic Number Theory

    Number fields, rings of integers, ideal class groups, and ramification.

  5. 05

    p-adic Analysis

    p-adic numbers, analysis over Q_p, and rigid geometry.

  6. 06

    Diophantine Equations

    Rational and integer solutions to polynomial equations.

  7. 07

    Elliptic Curves and Modular Forms

    Mordell–Weil, modularity, and BSD conjecture.

  8. 08

    Langlands Program

    Reciprocity between Galois representations and automorphic forms.

  9. 09

    Computational Number Theory

    Primality, factoring, lattice algorithms, and number-theoretic cryptography.

  10. 10

    Transcendence Theory

    Gelfond–Schneider, Baker's theorem, and modular transcendence.


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