The World of Whole Numbers: Number Theory for the Novice

The World of Whole Numbers is an introduction to the field of Number Theory for students in non-math and non-science majors who have studied at least two years of high school algebra. Rather than giving brief introductions to a wide variety of topics, this book provides an in-depth introduction to the field of Number Theory. The topics covered include material in an introductory Number Theory course for mathematics majors, but the presentation is carefully tailored to meet the needs of elementary education, liberal arts, and other non-mathematical majors with a minimal mathematical background. The text covers logic and proofs, so that students may understand how to prove mathematical statements and to give counterexamples when statements are false.  The book contains an abundance of worked examples and exercises to both clearly illustrate concepts and evaluate the students’ mastery of the material. The text is enhanced with historic notes, brief biographical sketches and links to videos that reiterate what is presented in the text.