Mal's Post 1

What is number theory?

Okay. Simple right? I believe number theory is a branch of mathematics that deals with just what the title implies...Numbers. Imagine that. In a way, it could be viewed as a higher level arithmetic considering much of the coursework involves studying numbers and manipulating them. Come to think of it, number theory is also the branch of mathematics that deals with the properties of integers, rational, natural etc. numbers...

According to the Mathematical Atlas (see link below), there are many sub-branches, if you will, of number theory. The way I look at it is the following: little kid number theory and big kid number theory. Remember when you were in 4th grade going over, for what probably was the thousandth time, prime and composite numbers? yeah, number theory. Now think back to the first/second week of school. What were we doing? Prime and composite numbers correct? Except, that sieve of eranth(whatever) was NOT something we used in 4th grade. Hence, the big kid title.

Kthnxbai...:DD

ohh...almost forgot. Source= this website: http://www.math.niu.edu/~rusin/known-math/index/11-XX.html