A Guide to Elementary Number Theory is a 140-page exposition of the topics considered in a first course in number theory.  It is intended for those who may have seen the material before but have half-forgotten it, and also for those who may have misspent their youth by not having a course in number theory and who want to see what it is about without having to wade through a traditional text, some of which approach 500 pages in length.  It will be especially useful to graduate student preparing for the qualifying exams.

Though Plato did not quite say, “He is unworthy of the name of man who does not know which integers are the sums of two squares” he came close.  This Guide can make everyone more worthy.

About the Author

Underwood Dudley received the Ph.D. degree (number theory) from the University of Michigan in 1965.  He taught at the Ohio State University and at DePauw University, from which he retired in 2004. He is the author of three books on mathematical oddities, The Trisectors, Mathematical Cranks, and Numerology all published by the Mathematical Association of America.  He has also served as editor of the College Mathematics Journal, the Pi Mu Epsilon Journal, and two of the Mathematical Association of America’s book series.