number theory

American  

noun

Mathematics.

1. the study of integers and their relation to one another.

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number theory British  

noun

1. the study of integers, their properties, and the relationship between integers

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Etymology

Origin of number theory

First recorded in 1910–15

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

number theory

But OpenAI’s solution drew on methods from a seemingly unrelated field, algebraic number theory, which studies deep patterns in numbers and the structures built from them.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 14, 2026

Gauss went further to say that number theory was the queen of mathematics.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 14, 2026

In this case, that meant pulling from both algebraic number theory and discrete geometry, which have about as much in common as the marathon and pole vault.

From The Wall Street Journal ● May 30, 2026

The weekly chart illustrates how round number theory came into play at the $200 figure:

From Barron's ● Apr. 24, 2026

A strong streak of romanticism runs through mathematics, manifesting itself most clearly in the most fundamental areas of mathematics, number theory and logic.

From "Innumeracy: Mathematical Illiteracy and Its Consequences" by John Allen Paulos