Elementary Number Theory: An Algebraic Approach by Ethan Bolker.

Algebraic Number Theory and Fermat's Last Theorem by Ian Stewart and David Tall.

I will also be posting some course notes here: Current notes

If you would benefit from a book about mathematical thinking and writing, I strongly recommend How to Think Like a Mathematician: A Companion to Undergraduate Mathematics by Kevin Houston.

Homework assignments will be be due on Wednesdays and will be posted to the course webpage. They must be turned in at the beginning of class. Solutions to the homework will also be posted online. Begin work on the problems early and ask questions! Your lowest homework score will be dropped.

Homework will be graded on the basis of correctness, elegance, and also clarity of exposition. You have all had experience writing mathematical proofs, and one important goal of this goal is to hone your mathematical writing skills. You should take extra time to organize and write your solutions after you have solved the problems. Write in complete sentences and connect mathematical symbolism with explanation. A correct solution which is difficult to read and understand will not receive full credit. Think of each assignment as a small paper that you are turning in to a humanities course.

I strongly recommend typing your solutions. LaTeX is a wonderful free typesetting system which produces high-quality documents at the cost of only a small amount of additional work. If you plan to do any kind of scientific writing in the future, you will most likely use LaTeX, so taking the time right now to familiarize yourself with it will pay off.

Unless you have a serious emergency which you bring to my attention before a homework assignment is due, late homework will not be accepted. However, please feel free to take advantage of the fact that several homework scores are dropped to skip writing up a homework assignment if you have more pressing demands on your time.

There will be one take-home exam and a scheduled three hour final exam.

Final exam date: Wednesday, May 19 at 9:00am.

You must cite other books or online sources if you use them to help solve a problem. If you enjoy working in groups, I encourage you to work with others in the class to solve the homework problems, but you must write on your homework the names of those with whom you worked. In all cases, your homework is to be written up independently in your own words. This means you can not write a communal solution and all copy it down, and you can not copy and paste a solution from somewhere else. In general, getting ideas from other people or sources is fine (so long as you do not read another solution), but you need to cite this assistance and then take those ideas and write the problem up on your own.

Exams: You may neither give nor receive help. Written notes and computers are not permitted.

Students with learning, physical, or psychiatric disabilities enrolled in this course that may need disability-related classroom accommodations are encouraged to make an office appointment with me in first few weeks of class. You will need to provide documentation of your disability to the Associate Dean and Director of Academic Advising, Joyce Stern, located in the lower level of the Forum (x3702).

If you have a religious observance that conflicts with your participation in the course, please come speak with me as soon as possible to discuss appropriate accommodations.