The circle method, pioneered by Ramanujan and Hardy in the early 20th century, has over the past 100 years become part of the standard tool chest of analytic number theory. Its scope of applications is ever-expanding, and the subject continues to see important breakthroughs. This book provides an introduction to the circle method that is accessible to undergraduate students with no background in number theory. The authors' goal is to show the students the elegance of the circle method and at the same time give a complete solution of the famous Waring problem as an illustration of the method. The first half of this book is a curated introduction to elementary number theory with an emphasis on topics needed for the second half. The second half showcases the two most “classic” applications of the circle method, to Waring's problem (following Hardy–Littlewood–Hua) and to Goldbach's conjectures (following Vinogradov, with improvements by Vaughan). This text is suitable for a one-semester undergraduate course or for independent study and will be a great entry point into this fascinating area of research.

Meetings in the round have become the preferred tool for moving individual commitment into group action. This book lays out the structure of circle conversation, based on the original work of the authors who have standardized the essential elements that constitute circle practice.

The Hardy-Littlewood method is a means of estimating the number of integer solutions of equations and was first applied to Waring's problem on representations of integers by sums of powers. This introduction to the method deals with its classical forms and outlines some of the more recent developments. Now in its second edition it has been fully updated; the author has made extensive revisions and added a new chapter to take account of major advances by Vaughan and Wooley. The reader is expected to be familiar with elementary number theory and postgraduate students should find it of great use as an advanced textbook. It will also be indispensable to all lecturers and research workers interested in number theory.

Mahler measure, a height function for polynomials, is the central theme of this book. It has many interesting properties, obtained by algebraic, analytic and combinatorial methods. It is the subject of several longstanding unsolved questions, such as Lehmer’s Problem (1933) and Boyd’s Conjecture (1981). This book contains a wide range of results on Mahler measure. Some of the results are very recent, such as Dimitrov’s proof of the Schinzel–Zassenhaus Conjecture. Other known results are included with new, streamlined proofs. Robinson’s Conjectures (1965) for cyclotomic integers, and their associated Cassels height function, are also discussed, for the first time in a book. One way to study algebraic integers is to associate them with combinatorial objects, such as integer matrices. In some of these combinatorial settings the analogues of several notorious open problems have been solved, and the book sets out this recent work. Many Mahler measure results are proved for restricted sets of polynomials, such as for totally real polynomials, and reciprocal polynomials of integer symmetric as well as symmetrizable matrices. For reference, the book includes appendices providing necessary background from algebraic number theory, graph theory, and other prerequisites, along with tables of one- and two-variable integer polynomials with small Mahler measure. All theorems are well motivated and presented in an accessible way. Numerous exercises at various levels are given, including some for computer programming. A wide range of stimulating open problems is also included. At the end of each chapter there is a glossary of newly introduced concepts and definitions. Around the Unit Circle is written in a friendly, lucid, enjoyable style, without sacrificing mathematical rigour. It is intended for lecture courses at the graduate level, and will also be a valuable reference for researchers interested in Mahler measure. Essentially self-contained, this textbook should also be accessible to well-prepared upper-level undergraduates.

Many mathematicians have been drawn to mathematics through their experience with math circles: extracurricular programs exposing teenage students to advanced mathematical topics and a myriad of problem solving techniques and inspiring in them a lifelong love for mathematics. Founded in 1998, the Berkeley Math Circle (BMC) is a pioneering model of a U.S. math circle, aspiring to prepare our best young minds for their future roles as mathematics leaders. Over the last decade, 50 instructors--from university professors to high school teachers to business tycoons--have shared their passion for mathematics by delivering more than 320 BMC sessions full of mathematical challenges and wonders. Based on a dozen of these sessions, this book encompasses a wide variety of enticing mathematical topics: from inversion in the plane to circle geometry; from combinatorics to Rubik's cube and abstract algebra; from number theory to mass point theory; from complex numbers to game theory via invariants and monovariants. The treatments of these subjects encompass every significant method of proof and emphasize ways of thinking and reasoning via 100 problem solving techniques. Also featured are 300 problems, ranging from beginner to intermediate level, with occasional peaks of advanced problems and even some open questions. The book presents possible paths to studying mathematics and inevitably falling in love with it, via teaching two important skills: thinking creatively while still ``obeying the rules,'' and making connections between problems, ideas, and theories. The book encourages you to apply the newly acquired knowledge to problems and guides you along the way, but rarely gives you ready answers. ``Learning from our own mistakes'' often occurs through discussions of non-proofs and common problem solving pitfalls. The reader has to commit to mastering the new theories and techniques by ``getting your hands dirty'' with the problems, going back and reviewing necessary problem solving techniques and theory, and persistently moving forward in the book. The mathematical world is huge: you'll never know everything, but you'll learn where to find things, how to connect and use them. The rewards will be substantial. In the interest of fostering a greater awareness and appreciation of mathematics and its connections to other disciplines and everyday life, MSRI and the AMS are publishing books in the Mathematical Circles Library series as a service to young people, their parents and teachers, and the mathematics profession.

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In a manner accessible to beginning undergraduates, An Invitation to Modern Number Theory introduces many of the central problems, conjectures, results, and techniques of the field, such as the Riemann Hypothesis, Roth's Theorem, the Circle Method, and Random Matrix Theory. Showing how experiments are used to test conjectures and prove theorems, the book allows students to do original work on such problems, often using little more than calculus (though there are numerous remarks for those with deeper backgrounds). It shows students what number theory theorems are used for and what led to them and suggests problems for further research. Steven Miller and Ramin Takloo-Bighash introduce the problems and the computational skills required to numerically investigate them, providing background material (from probability to statistics to Fourier analysis) whenever necessary. They guide students through a variety of problems, ranging from basic number theory, cryptography, and Goldbach's Problem, to the algebraic structures of numbers and continued fractions, showing connections between these subjects and encouraging students to study them further. In addition, this is the first undergraduate book to explore Random Matrix Theory, which has recently become a powerful tool for predicting answers in number theory. Providing exercises, references to the background literature, and Web links to previous student research projects, An Invitation to Modern Number Theory can be used to teach a research seminar or a lecture class.

This book is an introduction to analytic number theory suitable for beginning graduate students. It covers everything one expects in a first course in this field, such as growth of arithmetic functions, existence of primes in arithmetic progressions, and the Prime Number Theorem. But it also covers more challenging topics that might be used in a second course, such as the Siegel-Walfisz theorem, functional equations of L-functions, and the explicit formula of von Mangoldt. For students with an interest in Diophantine analysis, there is a chapter on the Circle Method and Waring's Problem. Those with an interest in algebraic number theory may find the chapter on the analytic theory of number fields of interest, with proofs of the Dirichlet unit theorem, the analytic class number formula, the functional equation of the Dedekind zeta function, and the Prime Ideal Theorem. The exposition is both clear and precise, reflecting careful attention to the needs of the reader. The text includes extensive historical notes, which occur at the ends of the chapters. The exercises range from introductory problems and standard problems in analytic number theory to interesting original problems that will challenge the reader. The author has made an effort to provide clear explanations for the techniques of analysis used. No background in analysis beyond rigorous calculus and a first course in complex function theory is assumed.