From Great Discoveries in Number Theory to Applications

Book excerpt: This book provides an overview of many interesting properties of natural numbers, demonstrating their applications in areas such as cryptography, geometry, astronomy, mechanics, computer science, and recreational mathematics. In particular, it presents the main ideas of error-detecting and error-correcting codes, digital signatures, hashing functions, generators of pseudorandom numbers, and the RSA method based on large prime numbers. A diverse array of topics is covered, from the properties and applications of prime numbers, some surprising connections between number theory and graph theory, pseudoprimes, Fibonacci and Lucas numbers, and the construction of Magic and Latin squares, to the mathematics behind Prague’s astronomical clock. Introducing a general mathematical audience to some of the basic ideas and algebraic methods connected with various types of natural numbers, the book will provide invaluable reading for amateurs and professionals alike.