First published in 1979 and written by two distinguished mathematicians with a special gift for exposition, this book is now available in a completely revised third edition. It reflects the exciting developments in number theory during the past two decades that culminated in the proof of Fermat's Last Theorem. Intended as a upper level textbook, it

The title of this book may be read in two ways. One is 'algebraic number-theory', that is, the theory of numbers viewed algebraically; the other, 'algebraic-number theory', the study of algebraic numbers. Both readings are compatible with our aims, and both are perhaps misleading. Misleading, because a proper coverage of either topic would require more space than is available, and demand more of the reader than we wish to; compatible, because our aim is to illustrate how some of the basic notions of the theory of algebraic numbers may be applied to problems in number theory. Algebra is an easy subject to compartmentalize, with topics such as 'groups', 'rings' or 'modules' being taught in comparative isolation. Many students view it this way. While it would be easy to exaggerate this tendency, it is not an especially desirable one. The leading mathematicians of the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries developed and used most of the basic results and techniques of linear algebra for perhaps a hundred years, without ever defining an abstract vector space: nor is there anything to suggest that they suf fered thereby. This historical fact may indicate that abstrac tion is not always as necessary as one commonly imagines; on the other hand the axiomatization of mathematics has led to enormous organizational and conceptual gains.

This introduction to algebraic number theory via the famous problem of "Fermats Last Theorem" follows its historical development, beginning with the work of Fermat and ending with Kummers theory of "ideal" factorization. The more elementary topics, such as Eulers proof of the impossibilty of x+y=z, are treated in an uncomplicated way, and new concepts and techniques are introduced only after having been motivated by specific problems. The book also covers in detail the application of Kummers theory to quadratic integers and relates this to Gauss'theory of binary quadratic forms, an interesting and important connection that is not explored in any other book.

This monograph makes available, in English, the elementary parts of classical algebraic number theory. This second edition follows closely the plan and style of the first edition. The principal changes are the correction of misprints, the expansion or simplification of some arguments, and the omission of the final chapter on units in order to make way for the introduction of some two hundred problems.

The exposition of the classical theory of algebraic numbers is clear and thorough, and there is a large number of exercises as well as worked out numerical examples. A careful study of this book will provide a solid background to the learning of more recent topics.

Broad graduate-level account of Algebraic Number Theory, first published in 2001, including exercises, by a world-renowned author.

Updated to reflect current research, Algebraic Number Theory and Fermat’s Last Theorem, Fourth Edition introduces fundamental ideas of algebraic numbers and explores one of the most intriguing stories in the history of mathematics—the quest for a proof of Fermat’s Last Theorem. The authors use this celebrated theorem to motivate a general study of the theory of algebraic numbers from a relatively concrete point of view. Students will see how Wiles’s proof of Fermat’s Last Theorem opened many new areas for future work. New to the Fourth Edition Provides up-to-date information on unique prime factorization for real quadratic number fields, especially Harper’s proof that Z(√14) is Euclidean Presents an important new result: Mihăilescu’s proof of the Catalan conjecture of 1844 Revises and expands one chapter into two, covering classical ideas about modular functions and highlighting the new ideas of Frey, Wiles, and others that led to the long-sought proof of Fermat’s Last Theorem Improves and updates the index, figures, bibliography, further reading list, and historical remarks Written by preeminent mathematicians Ian Stewart and David Tall, this text continues to teach students how to extend properties of natural numbers to more general number structures, including algebraic number fields and their rings of algebraic integers. It also explains how basic notions from the theory of algebraic numbers can be used to solve problems in number theory.