MATH 373 - Number Theory

An introduction to the properties of and unsolved problems about the integers (whole numbers). This course is built around the problem of proving that a large integer is prime or finding its factorization into primes. Topics include: divisibility and prime numbers, the Euclidean algorithm, modular arithmetic, quadratic residues, continued fractions, and public-key cryptosystems. Prerequisite(s): MATH 136 Even numbered fall semesters. (4 Credits)