Algebraic Techniques in Number Theory (MATH3521)

MATH3521 is a Mathematics Level III course.

Units of credit: 6

Prerequisites: 12 units of credit in Level II Math courses

Exclusions: MATH3711

Cycle of offering: Term 1 

Graduate attributes: The course will enhance your research, inquiry and analytical thinking abilities.

More information:

This recent course handout (PDF) contains information about course objectives, assessment, course materials and the syllabus.

The online handbook entry contains up-to-date timetabling information.

If you are currently enrolled in MATH3521, you can log into UNSW Moodle for this course.

This course examines key questions in the theory of numbers whose solution led to the development of modern abstract algebra. The basic notions of rings, fields, groups and field extensions will be developed and used to solve problems relating to the integers, as well as certain geometric problems that interested the ancient Greeks.

This course covers the integers, residue class arithmetic, theorems of Lagrange, Fermat and Euler, groups of units, Chinese remainder theorem, primitive roots, Gaussian integers, division algorithm and principal ideals in Z[i], quadratic residues, algebraic number fields, extensions, Eisenstein's test, ruler and compass constructions.