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Ostrowski's Theorem
In number theory, Ostrowski's theorem, due to Alexander Ostrowski (1916), states that every non-trivial absolute value on the rational numbers \Q is equivalent to either the usual real absolute value or a -adic absolute value. Definitions An absolute value on the rational numbers is a function , \cdot, _*: \Q \to \R satisfying for all x, y that , x, _* \ge 0, , xy, _* = , x, _* , y, _*, , x + y, _* \le , x, + , y, , and , x, = 0 only if x = 0. Two absolute values , \cdot, and , \cdot, _* on the rationals are defined to be equivalent if they induce the same topology; this can be shown to be equivalent to the existence of a positive real number \lambda \in (0, \infty) such that : \forall x \in K: \quad , x, _* = , x, ^\lambda. (Note: In general, if , x, is an absolute value, , x, ^\lambda is not necessarily an absolute value anymore; however ''if'' two absolute values are equivalent, then each is a positive power of the other.) The trivial absolute value on any field ''K'' ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Number Theory
Number theory is a branch of pure mathematics devoted primarily to the study of the integers and arithmetic functions. Number theorists study prime numbers as well as the properties of mathematical objects constructed from integers (for example, rational numbers), or defined as generalizations of the integers (for example, algebraic integers). Integers can be considered either in themselves or as solutions to equations (Diophantine geometry). Questions in number theory can often be understood through the study of Complex analysis, analytical objects, such as the Riemann zeta function, that encode properties of the integers, primes or other number-theoretic objects in some fashion (analytic number theory). One may also study real numbers in relation to rational numbers, as for instance how irrational numbers can be approximated by fractions (Diophantine approximation). Number theory is one of the oldest branches of mathematics alongside geometry. One quirk of number theory is ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Prime Number
A prime number (or a prime) is a natural number greater than 1 that is not a Product (mathematics), product of two smaller natural numbers. A natural number greater than 1 that is not prime is called a composite number. For example, 5 is prime because the only ways of writing it as a product, or , involve 5 itself. However, 4 is composite because it is a product (2 × 2) in which both numbers are smaller than 4. Primes are central in number theory because of the fundamental theorem of arithmetic: every natural number greater than 1 is either a prime itself or can be factorization, factorized as a product of primes that is unique up to their order. The property of being prime is called primality. A simple but slow primality test, method of checking the primality of a given number , called trial division, tests whether is a multiple of any integer between 2 and . Faster algorithms include the Miller–Rabin primality test, which is fast but has a small chance of error ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Valuation (algebra)
In algebra (in particular in algebraic geometry or algebraic number theory), a valuation is a function on a field that provides a measure of the size or multiplicity of elements of the field. It generalizes to commutative algebra the notion of size inherent in consideration of the degree of a pole or multiplicity of a zero in complex analysis, the degree of divisibility of a number by a prime number in number theory, and the geometrical concept of contact between two algebraic or analytic varieties in algebraic geometry. A field with a valuation on it is called a valued field. Definition One starts with the following objects: *a field and its multiplicative group ''K''×, *an abelian totally ordered group . The ordering and group law on are extended to the set by the rules * for all ∈ , * for all ∈ . Then a valuation of is any map : that satisfies the following properties for all ''a'', ''b'' in ''K'': * if and only if , *, *, with equality if ''v' ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Complex Numbers
In mathematics, a complex number is an element of a number system that extends the real numbers with a specific element denoted , called the imaginary unit and satisfying the equation i^= -1; every complex number can be expressed in the form a + bi, where and are real numbers. Because no real number satisfies the above equation, was called an imaginary number by René Descartes. For the complex number is called the , and is called the . The set of complex numbers is denoted by either of the symbols \mathbb C or . Despite the historical nomenclature, "imaginary" complex numbers have a mathematical existence as firm as that of the real numbers, and they are fundamental tools in the scientific description of the natural world. Complex numbers allow solutions to all polynomial equations, even those that have no solutions in real numbers. More precisely, the fundamental theorem of algebra asserts that every non-constant polynomial equation with real or complex coefficients has ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Real Numbers
In mathematics, a real number is a number that can be used to measurement, measure a continuous variable, continuous one-dimensional quantity such as a time, duration or temperature. Here, ''continuous'' means that pairs of values can have arbitrarily small differences. Every real number can be almost uniquely represented by an infinite decimal expansion. The real numbers are fundamental in calculus (and in many other branches of mathematics), in particular by their role in the classical definitions of limit (mathematics), limits, continuous function, continuity and derivatives. The set of real numbers, sometimes called "the reals", is traditionally mathematical notation, denoted by a bold , often using blackboard bold, . The adjective ''real'', used in the 17th century by René Descartes, distinguishes real numbers from imaginary numbers such as the square roots of . The real numbers include the rational numbers, such as the integer and the fraction (mathematics), fraction . ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Coprime
In number theory, two integers and are coprime, relatively prime or mutually prime if the only positive integer that is a divisor of both of them is 1. Consequently, any prime number that divides does not divide , and vice versa. This is equivalent to their greatest common divisor (GCD) being 1. One says also ''is prime to'' or ''is coprime with'' . The numbers 8 and 9 are coprime, despite the fact that neither—considered individually—is a prime number, since 1 is their only common divisor. On the other hand, 6 and 9 are not coprime, because they are both divisible by 3. The numerator and denominator of a reduced fraction are coprime, by definition. Notation and testing When the integers and are coprime, the standard way of expressing this fact in mathematical notation is to indicate that their greatest common divisor is one, by the formula or . In their 1989 textbook '' Concrete Mathematics'', Ronald Graham, Donald Knuth, and Oren Patashnik proposed an alte ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Bézout's Identity
In mathematics, Bézout's identity (also called Bézout's lemma), named after Étienne Bézout who proved it for polynomials, is the following theorem: Here the greatest common divisor of and is taken to be . The integers and are called Bézout coefficients for ; they are not unique. A pair of Bézout coefficients can be computed by the extended Euclidean algorithm, and this pair is, in the case of integers one of the two pairs such that and ; equality occurs only if one of and is a multiple of the other. As an example, the greatest common divisor of 15 and 69 is 3, and 3 can be written as a combination of 15 and 69 as , with Bézout coefficients −9 and 2. Many other theorems in elementary number theory, such as Euclid's lemma or the Chinese remainder theorem, result from Bézout's identity. A Bézout domain is an integral domain in which Bézout's identity holds. In particular, Bézout's identity holds in principal ideal domains. Every theorem that results from ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Reductio Ad Absurdum
In logic, (Latin for "reduction to absurdity"), also known as (Latin for "argument to absurdity") or ''apagogical argument'', is the form of argument that attempts to establish a claim by showing that the opposite scenario would lead to absurdity or contradiction. This argument form traces back to Ancient Greek philosophy and has been used throughout history in both formal mathematical and philosophical reasoning, as well as in debate. In mathematics, the technique is called ''proof by contradiction''. In formal logic, this technique is captured by an axiom for "Reductio ad Absurdum", normally given the abbreviation RAA, which is expressible in propositional logic. This axiom is the introduction rule for negation (see ''negation introduction''). Examples The "absurd" conclusion of a ''reductio ad absurdum'' argument can take a range of forms, as these examples show: * The Earth cannot be flat; otherwise, since the Earth is assumed to be finite in extent, we would find peo ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Triangle Inequality
In mathematics, the triangle inequality states that for any triangle, the sum of the lengths of any two sides must be greater than or equal to the length of the remaining side. This statement permits the inclusion of Degeneracy (mathematics)#Triangle, degenerate triangles, but some authors, especially those writing about elementary geometry, will exclude this possibility, thus leaving out the possibility of equality. If , , and are the lengths of the sides of a triangle then the triangle inequality states that :c \leq a + b , with equality only in the degenerate case of a triangle with zero area. In Euclidean geometry and some other geometries, the triangle inequality is a theorem about vectors and vector lengths (Norm (mathematics), norms): :\, \mathbf u + \mathbf v\, \leq \, \mathbf u\, + \, \mathbf v\, , where the length of the third side has been replaced by the length of the vector sum . When and are real numbers, they can be viewed as vectors in \R^1, and the triang ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Radix
In a positional numeral system, the radix (radices) or base is the number of unique digits, including the digit zero, used to represent numbers. For example, for the decimal system (the most common system in use today) the radix is ten, because it uses the ten digits from 0 through 9. In any standard positional numeral system, a number is conventionally written as with ''x'' as the string of digits and ''y'' as its base. For base ten, the subscript is usually assumed and omitted (together with the enclosing parentheses), as it is the most common way to express value. For example, (the decimal system is implied in the latter) and represents the number one hundred, while (100)2 (in the binary system with base 2) represents the number four. Etymology ''Radix'' is a Latin word for "root". ''Root'' can be considered a synonym for ''base,'' in the arithmetical sense. In numeral systems Generally, in a system with radix ''b'' (), a string of digits denotes the number , ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
P-adic Valuation
In number theory, the valuation or -adic order of an integer is the exponent of the highest power of the prime number that divides . It is denoted \nu_p(n). Equivalently, \nu_p(n) is the exponent to which p appears in the prime factorization of n. The P-adic number, -adic valuation is a Valuation (algebra), valuation and gives rise to an analogue of the usual absolute value. Whereas the Complete metric space, completion of the rational numbers with respect to the usual absolute value results in the real numbers \mathbb, the completion of the rational numbers with respect to the p-adic absolute value results in the p-adic number, numbers \mathbb_p. Definition and properties Let be a prime number. Integers The -adic valuation of an integer n is defined to be : \nu_p(n)= \begin \mathrm\ & \text n \neq 0\\ \infty & \text n=0, \end where \mathbb_0 denotes the set of natural numbers (including zero) and m \mid n denotes divisor, divisibility of n by m. In particular, \nu_p is a ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Coprime Integers
In number theory, two integers and are coprime, relatively prime or mutually prime if the only positive integer that is a divisor of both of them is 1. Consequently, any prime number that divides does not divide , and vice versa. This is equivalent to their greatest common divisor (GCD) being 1. One says also ''is prime to'' or ''is coprime with'' . The numbers 8 and 9 are coprime, despite the fact that neither—considered individually—is a prime number, since 1 is their only common divisor. On the other hand, 6 and 9 are not coprime, because they are both divisible by 3. The numerator and denominator of a reduced fraction are coprime, by definition. Notation and testing When the integers and are coprime, the standard way of expressing this fact in mathematical notation is to indicate that their greatest common divisor is one, by the formula or . In their 1989 textbook ''Concrete Mathematics'', Ronald Graham, Donald Knuth, and Oren Patashnik proposed an alternative ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
