Product Description

There are many surprising connections between the theory of numbers, which is one of the oldest branches of mathematics, and computing and information theory. Number theory has important applications in computer organization and security, coding and cryptography, random number generation, hash functions, and graphics. Conversely, number theorists use computers in factoring large integers, determining primes, testing conjectures, and solving other problems. This book takes the reader from elementary number theory, via algorithmic number theory, to applied number theory in computer science. It introduces basic concepts, results, and methods, and discusses their applications in the design of hardware and software, cryptography, and security. It is aimed at undergraduates in computing and information technology, including electrical and electronic engineering, but will also interest mathematics students interested in applications. It presupposes only high-school math.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #2955381 in Books
• Published on: 2000-03
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Hardcover
• 250 pages

Customer Reviews

Extremely good book on a complicated area of Mathematics
I studied for my Computer Science degree last year, doing a project on "Email Security". I had no formal mathematical grounding, other than a Maths GCSE gained 6 years earlier. Yet I found the book extremely informative and very useful. It helped no end in my understanding of complicated principals, related to the cryptography which I was using to form part of my solution. Consequently, in that respect, I politely disagree with both previous reviewers when commenting on the "High School" maths remark. Since I completed my degree, I'm working within the domain of Secure Messaging and I still refer to "NTFC" on a regular basis - whenever I need to recall aspects of the mathematical theory which holds the central tenants of e-security together.

I actually consider it to be a more worthy volume than Schroeder's title, although this is also an excellent read on the subject. However, I do agree with the previous reviewer on the quality of the binding - my copy is now extremely
well-thumbed, yet the pages remain firmly in place.

good overview of theory mixed with examples
After reading the previous review of this title, I went ahead and bought it anyway! But having received it, I felt I had to inject some balance and leap to the defence of Dr Yan. His book (and as far as number theory goes I have seen my fair share) gives a nicely balanced overview of basic number theory in the first part and algorithmic number theory in the second.

I cannot bring myself to agree with comments about lack of examples - there are lots. However, I do have some sympathy with the notion that "high school maths" is a little low in respect of prerequisite knowledge - it may be correct in principle, but the "algebraic preliminaries" might be a little intimidating

The third section is reasonable in respect of applications, but lacks the breadth of e.g. Schroeder's "Number Theory in Science and Communication". There is an interesting overview of quantum computing, but if you didn't know anything about quantum mechanics it does seem to jump straight in.

I do likewise appreciate the potted biographies of mathematicians inserted at relevant points. As ever with Springer texts, the binding and printing is exemplary. A good buy at this price, in my view.

The Best Nights sleep ive ever had...
this book is better than any sleeping tablet you can ever buy. I have read through parts of this book (parts in which i needed to pass a coursework) and i didn't find it at all useful, and most what i read from this book, i had to look elsewere, to actually find something that resembled actual answers to many questions opened up by cryptography. This does not help even when the auhour of the book lectures you for 2 hours every week.... in fact it probably makes it worse.