Diophantine Equations

This problem-solving book is an introduction to the study of Diophantine equations, a class of equations in which only integer solutions are allowed. The presentation features some classical Diophantine equations, including linear, Pythagorean, and some higher degree equations, as well as exponential Diophantine equations. Many of the selected exercises and problems are original or are presented with original solutions. An Introduction to Diophantine Equations: A Problem-Based Approach is intended for undergraduates, advanced high school students and teachers, mathematical contest participants — including Olympiad and Putnam competitors — as well as readers interested in essential mathematics. The work uniquely presents unconventional and non-routine examples, ideas, and techniques.

This text treats the classical theory of quadratic diophantine equations and guides the reader through the last two decades of computational techniques and progress in the area. The presentation features two basic methods to investigate and motivate the study of quadratic diophantine equations: the theories of continued fractions and quadratic fields. It also discusses Pell’s equation and its generalizations, and presents some important quadratic diophantine equations and applications. The inclusion of examples makes this book useful for both research and classroom settings.

A self-contained account of a new approach to the subject.

This book tells the story of Diophantine analysis, a subject that, owing to its thematic proximity to algebraic geometry, became fashionable in the last half century and has remained so ever since. This new treatment of the methods of Diophantus—a person whose very existence has long been doubted by most historians of mathematics—will be accessible to readers who have taken some university mathematics. It includes the elementary facts of algebraic geometry indispensable for its understanding. The heart of the book is a fascinating account of the development of Diophantine methods during the Renaissance and in the work of Fermat. This account is continued to our own day and ends with an afterword by Joseph Silverman, who notes the most recent developments including the proof of Fermat's Last Theorem.