Course Description
This course covers advanced topics in elementary number theory. We will study prime factorizations and modular arithmetic in order to solve diophantine equations. Depending on popular demand we will apply number theoretic methods to public key cryptography and pseudorandom generators. Potential topics include quadratic reciprocity and elliptic curves modulo primes.Course description:
Textbook: I will loosely follow the topics of
- William Stein, Elementary Number Theory: Primes, Congruences, and Secrets
Homework: There will be weekly problem sets. You are free and encouraged to collaborate with other students in the class in solving the problems, but you must write up all your solutions on your own. The two lowest homework grade will not be taken into account in the computations of your final grade.
Exams: There will be a midterm exam and a final exam, both take home open book.
Final grade:The final grade will be computed as a weighted average: 40% homework, 30% midterm, 30% final exam.
