SUNY at Stony Brook MAT 402: Seminar in Mathematics: Three Topics in Number Theory
Spring 2012

Welcome to MAT 402

The three topics of this seminar are the following:

  • Gauss quadratic reciprocity law
  • Dirichlet theorem on primes in arithmetic progression
  • Introduction to modular forms

  • The first two topics are the jewels of of the XIXth century mathematics, while the third topic is an area of active current research. We will follow the presentation in book by J.-P. Serre "A Course in Arithmetic", which is a modern classic. Another classic we will be using is I.M. Vinogradov's "Elements of Number Theory". For more infomation about the books and other course materials, please select Links link in the menu to the left.

    I will start by giving a few introductory lectures on each topic, but after a week or two will assign sections to students to present in class. Grades will be based on these oral presentations and on written assignments.

    For more information about the course, please select General information link in the menu to the left.

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