by Fernando Quadros Gouvea (Author)
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
Format: Paperback
Pages: 306
Edition: 2nd ed. 1997. Corr. 3rd printing
Publisher: Springer
Published: 04 Jul 1997
ISBN 10: 3540629114
ISBN 13: 9783540629115
Book Overview: Springer Book Archives
From the reviews:
This is a well-written introduction to the world of p-adic numbers. The reader is led into the rich structure of the fields Qp and Cp in a beautiful balance between analytic and algebraic aspects. The overall conclusion is simple: an extraordinarily nice manner to introduce the uninitiated to the subject. Not only giving the background necessary to pursue the matter, but doing it in such a way that a healthy 'hands-on experience'is generated in the process. Mededelingen van het wiskundig genootschap
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
From the reviews of the second edition:
If I had to recommend one book on the subject to a student - or even to a fully grown mathematician who had never played with p-adic numbers before - it would still be this book. ... Gouvea has succeeded admirably in taking a topic that is not standard in the undergraduate mathematics curriculum and writing a book accessible to undergraduates that allows its reader to play with some intriguing mathematics and explore a topic which is both fun and important. (Darren Glass, The Mathematical Association of America, January, 2011)