Number Theory

Undergraduate | 2026

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Area/Catalogue
MATH X312
Course ID icon
Course ID
207625
Level of study
Level of study
Undergraduate
Unit value icon
Unit value
6
Course level icon
Course level
3
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Inbound study abroad and exchange
Inbound study abroad and exchange
The fee you pay will depend on the number and type of courses you study.
Yes
University-wide elective icon
University-wide elective course
Yes
Single course enrollment
Single course enrolment
Yes
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Note:
Course data is interim and subject to change

Course overview

This course is an introduction to the study of whole numbers, with particular emphasis on the study of prime numbers. Once considered the province of pure mathematics, and devoid of applications, number theory is today central in cryptography, and in making e-commerce viable. One of the oldest sub-areas of mathematics, some of the methods developed 2,500 years ago are still in use today, but this course will be a modern introduction to the subject. This course will focus on four main areas: basic study of prime numbers (divisibility, primality), congruences, continuous fractions, and analytic methods.

  • Division And Modular Arithmetic
  • Applications
  • Review And Capstone Activities

Course learning outcomes

  • Obtain rational approximations to irrational numbers using continued fractions
  • Solve a variety of problems in elementary number theory using appropriate techniques
  • Investigate the existence of integer solutions to algebraic equations using congruence methods
  • Write proofs at an appropriate level
  • Communicate results clearly

Prerequisite(s)

N/A

Corequisite(s)

N/A

Antirequisite(s)

N/A