Exploring Numbers Beyond Primes


Book Description

"Exploring Numbers Beyond Primes" is a comprehensive and accessible introduction to the fascinating world of number theory, designed specifically for absolute beginners. This book takes readers on a captivating journey through the mysteries of prime numbers and Diophantine equations, offering clear explanations and engaging examples along the way. From the historical origins of number theory to modern approaches and future directions, each chapter provides a step-by-step exploration of key concepts, supported by vivid descriptions and relatable analogies. Whether you're a curious novice or an aspiring mathematician, "Exploring Numbers Beyond Primes" invites you to discover the beauty and wonder of numbers, inspiring a lifelong passion for mathematical inquiry.




Beyond Primes


Book Description

"Beyond Primes" delves into the fascinating world of number theory beyond the realm of prime numbers. From exploring topics like composite numbers, perfect numbers, and cryptographically significant numbers, to investigating unsolved problems and conjectures in number theory, this book offers readers a captivating journey into the depths of mathematical exploration. With clear explanations and intriguing examples, "Beyond Primes" is an essential read for anyone interested in the beauty and complexity of number theory, offering insights into the mysteries that lie beyond the realm of primes.




Exploring Continued Fractions: From the Integers to Solar Eclipses


Book Description

There is a nineteen-year recurrence in the apparent position of the sun and moon against the background of the stars, a pattern observed long ago by the Babylonians. In the course of those nineteen years the Earth experiences 235 lunar cycles. Suppose we calculate the ratio of Earth's period about the sun to the moon's period about Earth. That ratio has 235/19 as one of its early continued fraction convergents, which explains the apparent periodicity. Exploring Continued Fractions explains this and other recurrent phenomena—astronomical transits and conjunctions, lifecycles of cicadas, eclipses—by way of continued fraction expansions. The deeper purpose is to find patterns, solve puzzles, and discover some appealing number theory. The reader will explore several algorithms for computing continued fractions, including some new to the literature. He or she will also explore the surprisingly large portion of number theory connected to continued fractions: Pythagorean triples, Diophantine equations, the Stern-Brocot tree, and a number of combinatorial sequences. The book features a pleasantly discursive style with excursions into music (The Well-Tempered Clavier), history (the Ishango bone and Plimpton 322), classics (the shape of More's Utopia) and whimsy (dropping a black hole on Earth's surface). Andy Simoson has won both the Chauvenet Prize and Pólya Award for expository writing from the MAA and his Voltaire's Riddle was a Choice magazine Outstanding Academic Title. This book is an enjoyable ramble through some beautiful mathematics. For most of the journey the only necessary prerequisites are a minimal familiarity with mathematical reasoning and a sense of fun.




Entangling Primes and Zeros


Book Description

For over 150 years, the Riemann Hypothesis stood as perhaps the greatest unsolved problem in mathematics. Proposed in 1859 by Bernard Riemann, the conjecture provided a tantalizing connection between the distribution of prime numbers and the zeros of an analytic function. Riemann located all the non-trivial zeros of the zeta function along a straight line in the complex plane. This simple pattern pointed to hidden order in the chaos of prime numbers. Generations of mathematicians struggled in vain to prove Riemann's alluring claim. It became the holy grail of number theory, resisting the most powerful mathematical minds. The Riemann Hypothesis gained renown as the most important problem in all of mathematics. But despite intense effort, the problem seemed mired in insurmountable difficulty. In this book, we walk through the proof that could finally cracked Riemann's age-old enigma. By bringing together ideas from complex analysis, number theory, and topology, the proof provides a creative bridge between mathematics' disparate domains. Methods based on symmetry, contradiction, and strategic re-expression illuminate Riemann's magic at last. The book offers the first comprehensive guide to understanding and appreciating this watershed mathematical achievement. It provides deep mathematical insights, historical perspectives, and reflection on problem-solving philosophy. Most importantly, the work pays tribute to the human spirit embodied in mathematics’ unending quest to understand the mysteries of patterns that surround us.




Fostering Collateral Creativity in School Mathematics


Book Description

This book explores the topic of using technology, both physical and digital, to motivate creative mathematical thinking among students who are not considered ‘mathematically advanced.’ The book reflects the authors’ experience of teaching mathematics to Canadian and American teacher candidates and supervising several field-based activities by the candidates. It consists of eight chapters and an Appendix which includes details of constructing computational learning environments. Specifically, the book demonstrates how the appropriate use of technology in the teaching of mathematics can create conditions for the emergence of what may be called ‘collateral creativity,’ a notion similar to Dewey’s notion of collateral learning. Just as collateral learning does not result from the immediate goal of the traditional curriculum, collateral creativity does not result from the immediate goal of traditional problem solving. Rather, mathematical creativity emerges as a collateral outcome of thinking afforded by the use of technology. Furthermore, collateral creativity is an educative outcome of one’s learning experience with pedagogy that motivates students to ask questions about computer-generated or tactile-derived information and assists them in finding answers to their own or the teacher’s questions. This book intends to provide guidance to teachers for fostering collateral creativity in their classrooms.




Abacus


Book Description

Aimed at pupils requiring further enrichment and extension, the challenge books develop able pupils' mathematical understanding within a unit. They use open-ended and problem solving activities, but require minimum teacher input and minimum use of additional materials.







Discovering Higher Mathematics


Book Description

Funded by a National Science Foundation grant, Discovering Higher Mathematics emphasizes four main themes that are essential components of higher mathematics: experimentation, conjecture, proof, and generalization. The text is intended for use in bridge or transition courses designed to prepare students for the abstraction of higher mathematics. Students in these courses have normally completed the calculus sequence and are planning to take advanced mathematics courses such as algebra, analysis and topology. The transition course is taken to prepare students for these courses by introducing them to the processes of conjecture and proof concepts which are typically not emphasized in calculus, but are critical components of advanced courses. * Constructed around four key themes: Experimentation, Conjecture, Proof, and Generalization * Guidelines for effective mathematical thinking, covering a variety of interrelated topics * Numerous problems and exercises designed to reinforce the key themes




Your Mathematics Standards Companion, Grades 3-5


Book Description

Transforming the standards into learning outcomes just got a lot easier In this expansion of the original popular Common Core Mathematics Companions, you can see in an instant how teaching to your state standards should look and sound in the classroom. Under the premise that math is math, the authors provide a Cross-Referencing Index for states implementing their own specific mathematics standards, showing which of your standards are the same as CCSS-M, which differ and how—and which page number to turn to for standards-based teaching ideas. It’s all here, page by page: The mathematics embedded in each standard for a deeper understanding of the content Examples of what effective teaching and learning look like in the classroom Connected standards within each domain so teachers can better appreciate how they relate Priorities within clusters so teachers know where to focus their time The three components of rigor: conceptual understanding, procedural skills, and applications Vocabulary and suggested materials for each grade-level band with explicit connections to the standards Common student misconceptions around key mathematical ideas with ways to address them Sample lesson plans and lesson planning templates Cross-referenced index listing the standards in the following states, explaining what is unique to the standards of each state Your Mathematics Standards Companion is your one-stop guide for teaching, planning, assessing, collaborating, and designing powerful mathematics curriculum.




Pure Math: Discovering the Beauty of Abstract Mathematics


Book Description

Pure Math: Discovering the Beauty of Abstract Mathematics offers a unique approach to exploring the captivating world of pure mathematics. It's where logic meets imagination, and abstract thought gives rise to profound beauty. This book takes you beyond the formulas and calculations, uncovering the hidden elegance that lies at the heart of mathematical structures, patterns, and theories. From the concept of infinity to symmetry in group theory, this book delves into the core ideas of pure math that have fascinated thinkers for centuries. You’ll discover the aesthetic appeal of mathematical proofs, each one a treasure waiting to be unearthed, explore the intricate relationships in number theory, and journey through the strange worlds of non-Euclidean geometry and topology. Whether you're intrigued by the mysteries of prime numbers or the paradoxes that challenge conventional logic, Pure Math illuminates these abstract concepts in a way that is both engaging and intellectually stimulating. Written for those who appreciate the beauty of ideas, this book is a celebration of the intellectual creativity that drives pure mathematics. It's perfect for mathematicians, students, and curious readers who want to see math as more than a tool for problem-solving. It’s a testament to the wonder that can be found in abstract reasoning. What you will find in this book: The concept of infinity and its role in set theory and calculus The elegance of mathematical proofs and the joy of discovering them Patterns and symmetry in number theory, geometry, and algebra Paradoxes that challenge the boundaries of logic and intuition The philosophical implications of pure mathematics as a universal language Exploration of the beauty and complexity found in abstract mathematical structures Embark on a fascinating journey into the depths of pure mathematics and discover a new way of thinking about the world around you!