Meets:    MWF 8–8:50am in Ross Hall 247
Instructor:    Eric Moorhouse,   Ross 6³=216

Textbook:  Joseph H. Silverman, A Friendly Introduction to Number Theory, 4th ed., 2012.

The final exam will be held at 8:00-10:00am on Wed May 14.  See details below.  I will be generally available on Monday and Tuesday afternoon (May 12, 13).

Handouts/Links

•   Lecture slides, videos and computer sessions
•   Students Frequently Ask Me ...
•   Students and Teachers Working Together (UW policy on the rights and responsibilities of students and teachers)
•   UW Policy on Academic Honesty
•   Syllabus / Policies
•   Watch my instructional videos
  • Advice for Learning Mathematics
  • Equivalence Relations
  • Complex Numbers
  • Sets
  • Cardinality
  • Logic
  • Mathematical Induction
•   Read the handouts
  • Reading and Writing Proofs
  • Mathematical Induction
  • A Quick Review of Linear Algebra
  • Basic Properties of the Integers
  • Sets and Cardinality
•   Access to Mathematica for UW students.  Although it is possible to access Mathematica from a UW campus computer lab, it is recommended that you download the Wolfram Mathematica software onto your computer for remote use.
•   Our First Mathematica Notebook will be demonstrated in class early in the semester, possibly on Fri Jan 24
•   We classify the primitive Pythagorean triples.  Using this parameterization, we list the smallest primitive Pythagorean triples using a Mathematica notebook.
•   HW1 due by 5:00pm, Fri March 7 on WyoCourses.  Solutions.  Average: 105/120
•   HW2 due by 5:00pm, Wed Mar 26 on WyoCourses.  Solutions.  Average: 107/120
•   Test scheduled for 7:30-8:50am on Mon Apr 7
  •   Practice Problems.  (Do not read the solutions until after you have worked through the Practice Problems for yourself.)
  •   Review a List of Topics
•   GIMPS (the Great Internet Mersenne Prime Search)
•   Test and Solutions.  Average: 77/100
•   HW3 due by 5:00pm, Fri May 2 on WyoCourses.  Solutions.  Average: 98/120
•   HW4 due by 5:00pm, Wed May 7 on WyoCourses.  Average: 60/60
•   Riemann zeta function ζ(x)
  • The probability that two large randomly chosen positive integers are relatively prime, is 1/ζ(2) = 6/π²
  • Derivation of the identity  ζ(2) = π²/6.  You are not responsible for this.
• The final Exam will take place on Wed May 14 in our usual room (RH 247).  The syllabus has the usual details concerning logistics (calculator, cheat sheet, etc.).  In preparation:
  • The exam is cumulative.  Here is an outline of the material you are responsible for.
  • Sample Exam
  • Do not look at the solutions to the Sample Exam, until you have worked through these questions for yourself.
  • Solutions to the exam.  Average: 81/100

/ revised May, 2025