Elementary Number Theory (304)
Course Hours: TTh 9-10:30
Location: Krieger 308
Instructor: Tom Wright
Office: Krieger 311
Office Hours: Wed. and Thurs. 1-2 or by appointment
email: wright(AT)math(dot)jhu(dot)edu
Homework Problems
Links:
Granville's
explanation of the proof of infinitely many
Carmichael numbers
The ABC
Conjecture Page
COURSE DESCRIPTION:
Number theory is (obviously) the study of numbers, particularly the
study of whole numbers and rational numbers. In this course, we will
study areas motivated by questions from ancient Greece, especially
primes and prime factorization, congruences, Euler's function, quadratic
reciprocity, primitive roots, solutions to polynomial congruences
(Chevalley's theorem), Diophantine equations including the Pythagorean
and Pell equations, and Dirichlet's theorem on primes.
TEXTBOOK: Number Theory by George Andrews
HOMEWORK: Homework will be assigned Thursday and due on the
following Friday at my office by noon. It will be corrected,
returned, and discussed/presented the following Tuesday. On some of
the homeworks I will assign Challenge Problems; these are for extra
credit. Late homework will not be accepted.
TESTS: There will be two midterms and a final. The midterms will be
October 8 and November 12. The final will be on December 11 at 9
a.m.
GRADING: The grading scheme will be as follows:
Midterms: 20%
Final 40%
Homework and Class Participation: 20%
ACADEMIC DISHONESTY: I have zero tolerance for academic dishonesty.
Cheating of any kind will be prosecuted to the fullest extent in
accordance with university policy.
WORKING TOGETHER: Working together on the homework is allowed; however,
each person must submit his or her own homework. Naturally, there is no
collaboration on tests.