Professor Ngo Bao Chau writes math books for students

On August 9, Hanoi National University Publishing House launched the book "Elementary Number Theory - Elementary Methods in Number Theory" by Professor Ngo Bao Chau and Dr. Do Viet Cuong.

Professor Chau is currently working at the Institute for Advanced Study in Mathematics and the University of Chicago, USA, while Dr. Cuong is a lecturer at the University of Natural Sciences, Vietnam National University, Hanoi.

Professor Chau's first mathematics book published in Vietnam is 588 pages long, providing a comprehensive and up-to-date foundation in number theory for undergraduate and graduate students in mathematics and mathematics education. The book is also a useful resource for high school math students because most of the lessons have been mentioned in one form or another in exams for gifted students.

The authors say that this book is different from other high school mathematics monographs (which are usually a list of problems). The purpose of the book is to show the connection between arithmetic problems at this level and deeper, more advanced mathematical concepts.

The book is compiled based on principles such as presenting problems clearly and concisely, clarifying the relationship between mathematical disciplines and practical applications, always having a clear question when referring to a problem...

The authors have used many classic documents and existing textbooks to build the content, while adding new and deeper knowledge.

Professor Ngo Bao Chau shared that he was very happy when the first book in Vietnam was published. "I am also very excited to see how readers react," said Mr. Chau.

Professor Chau said that this book originated from a handwritten textbook of about 30 pages, which he wrote while teaching online on Zoom for a math enrichment class. From there, some people encouraged him to develop it into a textbook on number theory. Dr. Do Viet Cuong compiled the exercises and solutions for this book.

Mr. Tran Quoc Binh, Director of Hanoi National University Publishing House, believes that the book will be a study and research document to help learners grasp basic and advanced concepts of number theory.

"The book will also inspire passion and motivation for further research in Mathematics," said Mr. Binh.

Professor Ngo Bao Chau, 52 years old, is the first Vietnamese person to win two gold medals at the International Mathematical Olympiad (in 1988 and 1989). He is also the first Vietnamese mathematician to win the Fields Medal - the world's most prestigious mathematics award (considered the Nobel Prize in mathematics) in 2010.