Taming The Infinite/ Chapter 7/ Patterns in numbers: The origins of number theory.
Numbers is admittedly a fascination of mine, after all mathematics is yet another language, one used to explain several of the world’s fundamental nature, and the way we humans live on it. Number theory embellishes the title of this chapter, and it is spot on since it is practically a discussion of that matter, involving as usual historical matters, authors perspectives, modern applications, textual explanations, and of course actual relevant formulas and discoveries. Prime numbers bring out a particular interest to most mathematicians, or so it seems, as several mysteries have been unraveled by this premise, and several others remain to be. There is a series of explanations on this chapter that refer exclusively to the existence of prime numbers, there is also a mention of the largest known prime number to date (one which I cannot figure how to spell here, but existent nonetheless). Amongst the pioneers of number theory comes out Fermat and his theories, most of which evidence he does not provide, reason for other authors such as Gauss to complete Fermat’s lack of evidence on several subjects.
Numbers is admittedly a fascination of mine, after all mathematics is yet another language, one used to explain several of the world’s fundamental nature, and the way we humans live on it. Number theory embellishes the title of this chapter, and it is spot on since it is practically a discussion of that matter, involving as usual historical matters, authors perspectives, modern applications, textual explanations, and of course actual relevant formulas and discoveries. Prime numbers bring out a particular interest to most mathematicians, or so it seems, as several mysteries have been unraveled by this premise, and several others remain to be. There is a series of explanations on this chapter that refer exclusively to the existence of prime numbers, there is also a mention of the largest known prime number to date (one which I cannot figure how to spell here, but existent nonetheless). Amongst the pioneers of number theory comes out Fermat and his theories, most of which evidence he does not provide, reason for other authors such as Gauss to complete Fermat’s lack of evidence on several subjects.
