scope:

The concept of factorization, familiar in the ordinary system of whole numbers that can be written as a unique product of prime numbers, plays a central role in modern mathematics and its applications. This exposition of the classic theory leads the reader to an understanding of the current knowledge of the subject and its connections to other mathematical concepts, for example in algebraic number theory. The book can be used as a text for a first course in number theory or for self-study by motivated high school students or readers interested in modern mathematics.