number theory

noun

: the study of the properties of integers
number theoretic adjective
number theorist noun

Examples of number theory in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web But McKay couldn’t shake the feeling that the two extremely different mathematical fields of geometry and number theory could be connected. Manon Bischoff, Scientific American, 5 Feb. 2024 Other mathematicians working in complex dynamics started to move in different directions — focusing on parameter spaces even more complicated than the Mandelbrot set, and on the connection between complex dynamics and number theory. Quanta Magazine, 26 Jan. 2024 Humans who compete in the IMO do not just solve geometric problems, however: its problems also cover other areas of mathematics such as algebra, number theory and combinatorics. Manon Bischoff, Scientific American, 17 Jan. 2024 With some slightly advanced number theory it can be shown that a561–a is always divisible by 561, so if the converse of Fermat’s little theorem were true, then 561 should be a prime. Quanta Magazine, 28 Nov. 2023 This generalization leads to another concept from number theory. Manon Bischoff, Scientific American, 24 Oct. 2023 And of course, quadratic reciprocity crops up repeatedly within number theory. Quanta Magazine, 1 Nov. 2023 Like primes, smooth numbers come up all over number theory, and results about their level of distribution and that of the primes often go hand in hand. Erica Klarreich, Quanta Magazine, 26 Oct. 2023 Their Secrets in a New Number System The Mathematician Who Delights in Building Bridges The proof also illuminated a bridge between geometry and number theory. Jordana Cepelewicz, Quanta Magazine, 21 Sep. 2023

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'number theory.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

1853, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of number theory was in 1853

Dictionary Entries Near number theory

Cite this Entry

“Number theory.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/number%20theory. Accessed 28 Mar. 2024.

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