Indiana University East
School of Natural Sciences and Mathematics
MATH-M 405 Number Theory, Section 5649
Course Syllabus
Summer 2024
Instructor Contact Information
Instructor: Dr. Jack Barlow, Lecturer in Mathematics.
Office: Whitewater Hall 200C
Email: jabarlo@[Link]
Zoom Office Hours: Th 3:00-4:00pm ET or by appointment
Zoom Invite Link for Office Hours:
[Link]
Zoom Passcode for Office Hours: 461150
In Person Office Hours: By appointment
Course Description
This course covers elementary number theory at the upper undergraduate level. Topics include numbers
and their representation, divisibility and factorization, primes and their distribution, number theoretic
functions, congruences, and linear diophantine equations.
Prerequisite Courses
Before taking this class, you should have a good knowledge of proof techniques, such as the ones
discussed in MATH-M393 (Bridge to Abstract Mathematics), or the ones used in proof heavy
undergraduate math courses such as MATH-M403 (Modern Algebra I) or MATH-M413 (Real Analysis I).
Course Type
• Total credit hours: 3
• Modality: Online Asynchronous.
Textbook
Kenneth Rosen. Elementary Number Theory and its Applications. 6 th Edition. Pearson. ISBN 978-0-321-
50031-1
Grades
The overall course grade is determined as follows:
Discussions 20%
Homework 30% (the lowest homework score will be dropped)
Midterm Exam 20%
Final Exam 30%
Grading Scale
Final course grades will be assigned according to the following factor distribution:
• A+ [97,100]
• A [93,97)
• A- [90,93)
• B+ [87,90)
• B [83,87)
• B- [80,83)
• C+ [77,80)
• C [73,77)
• C- [70,73)
• D+ [67,70)
• D [63,67)
• D- (60,63
• F [0,60)
Discussions
There will be weekly discussion forums posted on Canvas. To gain full credit for a discussion forum, you
will be expected to ask two questions and fully or partially answer a question from someone else in the
class. You should post your questions during the first 3 days of each week to allow time for answering
questions of others later on in the week.
Homework
Homework will be announced in class and due once per week. You should upload scans of your
written/typed work as a PDF file to Canvas. You are encouraged to work together to find solutions. At
the end of the semester the lowest homework grade will be dropped.
Tests
There will be one midterm and one final exam. The final will be cumulative; the midterm test covers all
modules discussed prior to the test. You should upload scans of your written/typed work as a PDF file to
Canvas. The tests are open book and open notes; you will have 24 hours from the time you download
the instructions for the exam until you must submit the completed version. You may use your book or
your notes for reference, citing appropriately as needed.
MATH-M 405 Syllabus, Summer 2024, page 2
Technical Requirements
You will need reliable internet access throughout the semester in order to participate in the course .
There is software available for IU East students free or at reduced cost – check out [Link]
Course Learning Outcomes
By the end of the course, students will be able to:
• Use basic proof techniques to justify theorems in the context of elementary number theory;
• Perform Euclid’s algorithm to determine the greatest common divisor of two integers, and apply
this algorithm to solve congruences;
• Apply concepts of number theory to cryptography.
Course Contents
• Basic definitions, mathematical induction, divisibility;
• Prime numbers and their distribution;
• Greatest common divisor, Euclid’s algorithm; fundamental theorem of arithmetic;
• Linear Diophantine equations and their solutions;
• Linear congruences, systems of linear congruences and the Chinese remainder theorem;
• Divisibility tests;
• Wilson’s theorem, Fermat’s little theorem;
• Multiplicative functions.
Accessibility services
Indiana University East strives to make all learning experiences as accessible as possible. If you anticipate
or experience academic barriers based on your disability (including mental health, learning, chronic
health, physical, hearing, vision or neurological, etc.) Please contact the Office of Accessibility Services
immediately at 765-973-8675 or by email at asiue@[Link]. Note that services are confidential, may
take time to put into place and are not retroactive; Captions and alternate media for print materials may
take three or more weeks to get produced. The Office of Accessibility Services is located in Springwood
Hall, room 202L. Walk-ins are welcome 8 AM to 5 PM, Monday through Friday.
Basic needs security
Any students who face challenges securing their food or housing and believes this may affect their
performance in the course should contact the Dean of Students Amy Jarecki (phone number: 765-973-
8525) for support. Additionally, IU East employs a student advocate (phone number: 765-973-8395), to
help. Furthermore, please notify me if you are comfortable in doing so. This will enable me to provide
any resources that I may possess.
MATH-M 405 Syllabus, Summer 2024, page 3
Title IX and Sexual Misconduct
As your instructor, one of my responsibilities is to create a positive learning environment for all
students. Title IX and IU’s Sexual Misconduct Policy prohibit sexual misconduct in any form, including
sexual harassment, sexual assault, stalking, and dating and domestic violence. If you have experienced
sexual misconduct, or know someone who has, the University can help. If you are seeking help and
would like to speak to someone confidentially, you can make an appointment with the Director of
Behavioral Health at 765-973-8646.
It is also important that you know that Title IX and University policy require me to share any information
brought to my attention about potential sexual misconduct, with the campus Deputy Title IX
Coordinator or IU’s Title IX Coordinator. In that event, those individuals will work to ensure that
appropriate measures are taken and resources are made available. Protecting student privacy is of
utmost concern, and information will only be shared with those that need to know to ensure the
University can respond and assist. I encourage you to visit [Link] to learn more.
Technology and support
You will participate in this course using the IU Canvas platform. Once you are in the platform you can
learn how to use Canvas effectively by clicking the “Help” link on the top right of the course page on
Canvas. In addition, the IU Knowledge Base is a good resource for any technical questions you may have.
Technical Difficulties: Contact the IT Help Desk at iueitsup@[Link] or by calling 765-973-8375.
Most problems can be resolved in less than 24 hours. If there is a system-wide service problem, you will
receive email notices regarding the problems and its resolution.
Academic support and student services
IU East offers a variety of services to assist you in your academic endeavors. This includes everything
from advising for your courses to student counseling support. A list of the academic support and student
services offered for our students can be found at the Student Success Hub. You can either click on the
link or click on the tab named "Student Success Hub" found to your left in Canvas.
Honesty statement
Academic honesty is fundamental to the activities and principles of this university. All members of the
academic community must be confident that each person’s work has been responsibly and honorably
acquired, developed and presented. Any effort to gain an advantage not given to all students is
dishonest whether or not the effort is successful. All submitted written work is to be done by the
student her/himself. The academic community regards academic dishonesty as an extremely serious
matter, with serious consequences that range from reduction in grade, probation to expulsion. Using
someone else’s work as if it is your own— plagiarism— is a serious university offense and will be dealt
with following university guidelines. You must cite borrowed ideas or text, including lecture material,
regardless of whether it is a direct quote or a paraphrasing. When in doubt— cite. (See section III,
Student Misconduct, of the Code of Student Rights, Responsibilities, and Conduct , available on the
“Campus Course Policies” link, available on the left tab of your courses in Canvas).
MATH-M 405 Syllabus, Summer 2024, page 4
Overview of IU East Grading Policies
The following includes highlights paraphrased from several campus or university policies pertaining to
grades and grading. For more information, see the IU East Grading Policies site.
o Dropping courses:
▪ Drop or add classes in the first through ninth week of classes
▪ Drop or add classes after the auto “W” deadline
▪ Faculty members are required to report any student on the Student Engagement
Roster (SER) who stops attending a class and does not withdraw (with a grade of
‘W’ or ‘F’). Failure of a course due to non-attendance may affect financial aid
award amounts.
o Incomplete:
Requesting and changing an Incomplete grade
Grade appeal:
Requesting and changing an Incomplete grade
Late Work
Late or missing work will not receive credit.
MATH-M 405 Syllabus, Summer 2024, page 5
Course Schedule
The sections from the text which will be covered are:
§1.1 – 1.5, 2.1, 3.1 – 3.7, 4.1 – 4.3, 5.1, 6.1, 6.3, 7.1 – 7.3, 8.1
Week Duration Section and Title
1 6/03 – 6/09 1.1 Numbers and Sequences
1.2 Sums and Products
1.3 Mathematical Induction
2 6/10 – 6/16 1.4 The Fibonacci Numbers
1.5 Divisibility
2.1 Representations of Integers
3 6/17 – 6/23 3.1 Prime Numbers
3.2 The Distribution of Primes
3.3 Greatest Common Divisors and their Properties
3.4 The Euclidean Algorithm
4 6/24 – 6/30 3.5 The Fundamental Theorem of Arithmetic
3.6 Factorization Methods and the Fermat Numbers
3.7 Linear Diophantine Equations
Midterm
5 7/01 – 7/07 4.1 Introduction to Congruences
4.2 Linear Congruences
4.3 The Chinese Remainder Theorem
6 7/08 – 7/14 5.1 Divisibility Tests
6.1 Wilson’s Theorem and Fermat’s Little Theorem
6.3 Euler’s Theorem
7 7/15 – 7/21 7.1 The Euler Phi-Function
7.2 The Sum and Number of Divisors
7.3 Perfect Numbers and Mersenne Primes
8 7/22 – 7/26 8.1 Character Ciphers
Final Exam
MATH-M 405 Syllabus, Summer 2024, page 6
