John Voight

I am the instructor for Elementary Number Theory, Math 115, for Summer 2004.

Course Info:

• Course: Elementary Number Theory
• Lectures: Monday and Wednesday, 10:10 a.m. - 12:00 p.m. and
  Tuesday and Thursday, 10:10 a.m. - 11:00 a.m.
• Dates: June 21-August 13, 2004
• Room: 3 Evans Hall
• Course Control Number: 57710
• Recitation: Tuesday and Thursday, 11:10 a.m. - 12:00 p.m.
• Course Control Number: 57715


• Instructor: John Voight
• Office: 853 Evans
• E-mail: jvoight@math.berkeley.edu
• Instructor's Office Hours: Tuesday and Thursday, 1:00 - 2:30 p.m., or by appointment!
• Course Web Page: http://www.math.berkeley.edu/~jvoight/115/
• Instructor's Web Page: http://www.math.berkeley.edu/~jvoight/


• Prerequisites: Math 53 and Math 54
• Syllabus: Here is the "official" catalog description:
  Divisibility, congruences, numerical functions, theory of primes. Topics selected: Diophantine analysis, continued fractions, partitions, quadratic fields, asymptotic distributions, additive problems.
  

  Here is my syllabus for the course:

  Syllabus

• Required Text: Kenneth Rosen, Elementary Number Theory and its Applications, Fourth edition, 2000. There is a web site for the text.
• Grading: Weekly homework will count for 30% of the grade. There will be one 50-minute midterm exam which will count for 25% of the grade and one comprehensive 110-minute final exam which will count for 45% of the grade.
• Midterm Exam: Thursday, July 15, 10:10 a.m. - 11:00 a.m.

Midterm Review

Midterm Review Solutions

Midterm Exam

Midterm Exam Solutions

There were 14 scores in the 36-50 range, receiving A- to A+; 14 scores in the 20-35 range, receiving C to B+; and 7 scores 19 or below, receiving a C- or below. These are very rough letter grade assignments that do not include your homework grades.

• Final Exam: Thursday, August 12, 10:10 a.m. - 12:00 p.m.
(These dates are now correct!)

Final Review

Final Review Solutions

Final Exam

Final Exam Solutions

Out of a total scaled 100 points (including homework and the midterm exam), there were 12 scores in the 76-100+ range, receiving A- to A+; 11 scores in the 56-75 range, receiving B- to B+; 3 scores in the 49 to 55 range, receiving C to C+; and 6 scores < 40, which received a D or below. I did not assign separate letter grades for the final. Thanks everyone for a wonderful summer. Best wishes!

Here is a list of typos that we found from the text:

Typos in Kenneth Rosen, Elementary Number Theory, Fourth edition

Homework:

Homework is due on Mondays. Be sure to show your work and explain how you got your answer. Correct but incomplete answers will only receive partial credit. Part of the beauty of number theory is in the elegance of its proofs, and one goal of this course is for you to learn to write mathematics excellently.

Cooperation on homework is permitted (and encouraged), but if you work together, do not take any paper away with you--in other words, you can share your thoughts (say on a blackboard), but you have to walk away with only your understanding. In particular, write the solution up on your own.

Solutions are available on request.

Homework 1 (Due June 28) and Homework 2 (Due July 6, no class Monday, July 5)

Homework 3 (Due July 12, modified 07/07/04) and Homework 4 (Due July 19)

Homework 5 (Due July 26) and Homework 6 (Due August 2)

Homework 5 Worksheet

Homework 6 Worksheet

Homework 7 (Due August 9)

Homework 7 Worksheet

Homework 8 (Not due)

Anonymous Comment:
Read the comments were submitted anonymously during the course.

Links:

• I was the GSI for a course in cryptography, which has many relevant overlaps with this course. Check out my website for that course.
• There is a very detailed website which accompanies the textbook.
• Ken Ribet taught the course in Fall 1999 and Fall 2000, and he has set up nice web pages listing alternative texts and other resources.