Theory of Numbers OpenCourseWare: A Free Undergraduate Mathematics Course on Number Theory by MIT

Published Jan 27, 2009

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Did you know there's a whole mathematical theory surrounding the numbers themselves? Well, take this free course from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology's OpenCourseWare, and you'll find that high-level Mathematics isn't quite so 'irrational' as it appears. 'Theory of Numbers' falls under the purview of MIT's Mathematics department and is available as an online self-study course to supplement an undergraduate education in Mathematics.

Theory of Numbers: Course Specifics

Degree Level Free Audio Video Downloads
Undergraduate Yes No No Yes

Lectures/Notes Study Materials Tests/Quizzes
Yes Yes Yes

Theory of Numbers: Course Description

Prospective students for 'Theory of Numbers' need not fear that they won't have a sufficient background in algebra to benefit from this OpenCourseWare; the course has no algebraic prerequisites. By studying the lecture notes provided by Professor Martin Olsson, students can explore number theory topics such as irrational numbers, factorization, congruences, quadratic residues, prime numbers, diophantine equations and elliptic curves. The textbook An Introduction to the Theory of Numbers by Ivan Niven, Hugh S. Zuckerman and Herman L. Montgomery is recommended for this course. Students may practice their understanding of number theory by solving problem sets from the recommended text; proofs and solutions to the problem sets are available for download from the OpenCourseWare site. The equivalent credit-bearing course taken by students enrolled at MIT is part of the Bachelor of Science in Mathematics program.

'Theory of Numbers' includes lecture notes, assignments and exams with study guides and solutions. To take this course, visit the number theory course site.

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