Scope
The Disquisitiones covers both elementary number theory and parts of the area of mathematics now called algebraic number theory. However, Gauss did not explicitly recognize the concept of a group, which is central to modern algebra, so he did not use this term. His own title for his subject was Higher Arithmetic. In his Preface to the Disquisitiones Gauss describes the scope of the book as follows:
- The inquiries which this volume will investigate pertain to that part of Mathematics which concerns itself with integers.
Read more about this topic: Disquisitiones Arithmeticae
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