Every single other work on p-adic numbers is written for more advanced students. In general, they presuppose more mathematical material, move more quickly through the subject, and get much deeper into advanced material. This book can almost be viewed as an introduction to be read in preparation for reading these more advanced texts.

Klappentext

There are numbers of all kinds: rational, real, complex, p-adic. The p-adic numbers are less well known than the others, but they play a fundamental role in number theory and in other parts of mathematics. This elementary introduction offers a broad understanding of p-adic numbers.

From the reviews: "It is perhaps the most suitable text for beginners, and I shall definitely recommend it to anyone who asks me what a p-adic number is." --THE MATHEMATICAL GAZETTE

Inhalt

1 Apéritif.- 1 Apéritif.- 1.1 Hensel's Analogy.- 1.2 Solving Congruences Modulopn.- 1.3 Other Examples.- 2 Foundations.- 2.1 Absolute Values on a Field.- 2.2 Basic Properties.- 2.3 Topology.- 2.4 Algebra.- 3 p-adic Numbers.- 3.1 Absolute Values on ?.- 3.2 Completions.- 3.3 Exploring ?p.- 3.4 Hensel's Lemma.- 3.5 Local and Global.- 4 Elementary Analysis in ?p.- 4.1 Sequences and Series.- 4.2 Functions, Continuity, Derivatives.- 4.3 Power Series.- 4.4 Functions Defined by Power Series.- 4.5 Some Elementary Functions.- 4.6 Interpolation.- 5 Vector Spaces and Field Extensions.- 5.1 Normed Vector Spaces over Complete Valued Fields.- 5.2 Finite-dimensional Normed Vector Spaces.- 5.3 Finite Field Extensions.- 5.4 Properties of Finite Extensions.- 5.5 Analysis.- 5.6 Example: Adjoining a p-th Root of Unity.- 5.7 On to ?.- 6 Analysis in ?p.- 6.1 Almost Everything Extends.- 6.2 Deeper Results on Polynomials and Power Series.- 6.3 Entire Functions.- 6.4 Newton Polygons.- 6.5 Problems.- A Hints and Comments on the Problems.- B A Brief Glance at the Literature.- B.1 Texts.- B.2 Software.- B.3 Other Books.