Drawn from the (...) On the other hand, since much of the material in this volume seems suitable for inclusion in elementary courses, it may not be superfluous to point out that it is almost entirely self-contained. Even the basic facts about trigonometric functions are treated ab initio in Ch. II, according to Eisenstein's method. It would have been both logical and convenient to treat the gamma -function similarly in Ch. VII; for the sake of brevity, this has not been done, and a knowledge of some elementary properties of T(s) has been assumed. One further prerequisite in Part II is Dirichlet's theorem on Fourier series, together with the method of Poisson summation which is only a special case of that theorem; in the case under consideration (essentially no more than the transformation formula for the theta-function) this presupposes the calculation of some classical integrals. (...) As to the final chapter, it concerns applications to number theory (...).
André Weil Book order






- 1999
- 1992
"Extremely readable recollections of the author... A rare testimony of a period of the history of 20th century mathematics. Includes very interesting recollections on the author's participation in the formation of the Bourbaki Group, tells of his meetings and conversations with leading mathematicians, reflects his views on mathematics. The book describes an extraordinary career of an exceptional man and mathematicians. Strongly recommended to specialists as well as to the general public.„ EMS Newsletter (1992) “This excellent book is the English edition of the author's autobiography. … This very enjoyable reading is recommended to all mathematicians." Acta Scientiarum Mathematicarum (1992)
- 1983
Number theory
- 375 pages
- 14 hours of reading
This book presents a historical overview of number theory. It examines texts that span some thirty-six centuries of arithmetical work, from an Old Babylonian tablet to Legendre’s Essai sur la Théorie des Nombres, written in 1798. Coverage employs a historical approach in the analysis of problems and evolving methods of number theory and their significance within mathematics. The book also takes the reader into the workshops of four major authors of modern number Fermat, Euler, Lagrange and Legendre and presents a detailed and critical examination of their work.