p-adic numbers are of great theoretical importance in number theory, since they allow the use of the language of analysis to study problems relating toprime numbers and diophantine equations. Further, they offer a realm where one can do things that are very similar to classical analysis, but with results that are quite unusual. The book should be of use to students interested in number theory, but at the same time offers an interesting example of the many connections between different parts of mathematics. The book strives to be understandable to an undergraduate audience. Very little background has been assumed, and the presentation is leisurely. There are many problems, which should help readers who are working on their own (a large appendix with hints on the problem is included). Most of all, the book should offer undergraduates exposure to some interesting mathematics which is off the beaten track. Those who will later specialize in number theory, algebraic geometry, and related subjects will benefit more directly, but all mathematics students can enjoy the book.

There are numbers of all kinds: rational, real, complex, p-adic. The p-adic numbers are less well known than the others, but they play a fundamental role in number theory and in other parts of mathematics. This elementary introduction offers a broad understanding of p-adic numbers. From the reviews: "It is perhaps the most suitable text for beginners, and I shall definitely recommend it to anyone who asks me what a p-adic number is." --THE MATHEMATICAL GAZETTE

The first edition of this work has become the standard introduction to the theory of p-adic numbers at both the advanced undergraduate and beginning graduate level. This second edition includes a deeper treatment of p-adic functions in Ch. 4 to include the Iwasawa logarithm and the p-adic gamma-function, the rearrangement and addition of some exercises, the inclusion of an extensive appendix of answers and hints to the exercises, as well as numerous clarifications.

Discovered at the turn of the 20th century, p-adic numbers are frequently used by mathematicians and physicists. This text is a self-contained presentation of basic p-adic analysis with a focus on analytic topics. It offers many features rarely treated in introductory p-adic texts such as topological models of p-adic spaces inside Euclidian space, a special case of Hazewinkel’s functional equation lemma, and a treatment of analytic elements.

p-adic numbers play a very important role in modern number theory, algebraic geometry and representation theory. Lately p-adic numbers have attracted a great deal of attention in modern theoretical physics as a promising new approach for describing the non-Archimedean geometry of space-time at small distances.This is the first book to deal with applications of p-adic numbers in theoretical and mathematical physics. It gives an elementary and thoroughly written introduction to p-adic numbers and p-adic analysis with great numbers of examples as well as applications of p-adic numbers in classical mechanics, dynamical systems, quantum mechanics, statistical physics, quantum field theory and string theory.

Numbers ... , natural, rational, real, complex, p-adic .... What do you know about p-adic numbers? Probably, you have never used any p-adic (nonrational) number before now. I was in the same situation few years ago. p-adic numbers were considered as an exotic part of pure mathematics without any application. I have also used only real and complex numbers in my investigations in functional analysis and its applications to the quantum field theory and I was sure that these number fields can be a basis of every physical model generated by nature. But recently new models of the quantum physics were proposed on the basis of p-adic numbers field Qp. What are p-adic numbers, p-adic analysis, p-adic physics, p-adic probability? p-adic numbers were introduced by K. Hensel (1904) in connection with problems of the pure theory of numbers. The construction of Qp is very similar to the construction of (p is a fixed prime number, p = 2,3,5, ... ,127, ... ). Both these number fields are completions of the field of rational numbers Q. But another valuation 1 . Ip is introduced on Q instead of the usual real valuation 1 . I· We get an infinite sequence of non isomorphic completions of Q : Q2, Q3, ... , Q127, ... , IR = Qoo· These fields are the only possibilities to com plete Q according to the famous theorem of Ostrowsky.