Number theory is one of the oldest branches of mathematics, and has been studied since the time of the ancient Greeks. Some problems, such as the study of Diophantine equations (the study of solutions to polynomial equations in either whole or rational numbers), have been studied for thousands of years with intensive work and progress continuing to the present day. At ASU, faculty work on problems in classical algebraic number theory and more modern areas such as arithmetic geometry, a blending of number theory with geometry.
