Mathematical Treasure: Dickson’s History of Number Theory

Author(s):

Frank J. Swetz (The Pennsylvania State University)

While Leonard Dickson (1874-1954) was one of the first American researchers to make notable contributions to the field of abstract algebra, his magnum opus was his three-volume History of the Theory of Numbers, published during 1919-1923. This work remains a valuable resource to contemporary students of number theory. The first volume of the work is considered here.

Title page for History ot the Theory of Numbers Volume 1 by Leonard Dickson

In the preface to the first volume, Dickson gave a precise summary of the history of number theory.

First page of the Preface for History ot the Theory of Numbers Volume 1 by Leonard Dickson

Second page of the Preface for History ot the Theory of Numbers Volume 1 by Leonard Dickson

Third page of the Preface for History ot the Theory of Numbers Volume 1 by Leonard Dickson

Fourth page of the Preface for History ot the Theory of Numbers Volume 1 by Leonard Dickson

Fifth page of the Preface for History ot the Theory of Numbers Volume 1 by Leonard Dickson

Sixth page of the Preface for History ot the Theory of Numbers Volume 1 by Leonard Dickson

Seventh page of the Preface for History ot the Theory of Numbers Volume 1 by Leonard Dickson

Eighth page of the Preface for History ot the Theory of Numbers Volume 1 by Leonard Dickson

Ninth page of the Preface for History ot the Theory of Numbers Volume 1 by Leonard Dickson

The images above were obtained through the courtesy of the University of California Libraries. The work may be viewed in its entirety in the Internet Archive.

Index to Mathematical Treasures

Frank J. Swetz (The Pennsylvania State University), "Mathematical Treasure: Dickson’s History of Number Theory," Convergence (July 2017)

Convergence

Tags:

Number Theory