Abstract
Number theory, also known as “arithmetic”, or “higher arithmetic”, is the study of properties of the positive integers. It is one of the oldest branches of mathematics, and has fascinated both amateurs and professionals throughout history. Many of its results are simple to state and understand, and many are suggested by concrete examples. But results are frequently very difficult to prove. It is these attributes of the subject that give number theory a unique and magical charm, claimed Carl Friedrich Gauss, one of the greatest mathematicians of all time.
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Grant, H., Kleiner, I. (2015). Gaussian Integers: From Arithmetic to Arithmetics. In: Turning Points in the History of Mathematics. Compact Textbooks in Mathematics. Birkhäuser, New York, NY. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4939-3264-1_6
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