Summary

This textbook is intended to serve as a one-semester introductory course in number theory and in this second edition it has been revised throughout and many new exercises have been added. Historical perspective is included and emphasis is given to some of the subject's applied aspects; in particular the field of cryptography is highlighted. 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 have been included. It is assumed that the reader will 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.