All Questions
Tagged with terminology number-theory
9
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The symbol h for class numbers
We use $h_K$ conventionally to denote the class numbers of number fields $K$.
But I have never thought why the letter $h$ was used for it.
Why and who used $h$ for the class number?
- 113
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What changes in mathematics resulted in the change of the definition of primes and exclusion of 1?
Why 1 is not prime? I read in this article that G.H Hardy explicitly included 1 as a prime in the first 6 editions of "A Course in Pure Mathematics", published between 1908-1933. He updated ...
- 348
6
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Origin of the "law of quadratic reciprocity"
Today, "reciprocity" is the standard mathematical word used for quadratic reciprocity and its generalizations.
I found that the name dates back to no later than 1832, when a paper of Dirichlet (...
- 263
6
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Why did Euclid define "a unit" instead of "the unit"?
I know Euclid's Definition VII.1 of a unit only from English and German translations:
A unit is (that) according to which each existing (thing) is said (to
be) one. [translation by Fitzpatrick]
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7
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Where does the letter S in "$S$-units" and in localization $S^{-1} R$ come from?
In number theory, we may encounter the notion of $S$-unit, $S$-integer, etc. where $S$ is a finite set of prime numbers (for simplicity). For instance, if $S = \{2,3\}$ then the $S$-integers are the ...
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What is the name of this numeral system?
In a XVth century french manuscript on arithmetic and astrology, there is a description of a numeral system as follows (it starts here in the manuscript).
Numbers between 1 and 9 are depicted by a ...
- 355
2
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0
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Which is the first reference using the terminology "Chinese Remainder Theorem" for this theorem?
The Chinese Remainder Theorem is one of the fundamental theorems in modular arithmetic. As far as I know, this terminology for the theorem is due to the fact that the Chinese mathematicians were the ...
6
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What did Dedekind's The Nature and Meaning of Numbers contribute to the founding of Set Theory?
As best as I can tell Dedekind's paper was published in 1887 already several years after Cantor's flurry of papers on Set Theory between 1879-1883. With this in mind my central questions are:
1) What ...
- 340
9
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Why is the Sophie Germain Identity called thus?
Several authors (z.B.: Arthur Engel in his Problem-Solving Strategies, Alexander Bogomolny in this entry of the Cut the Knot website) refer to the following (straightforward) consequence of the ...
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