人类从学会计数开始就一直和自然数打交道了，后来由于实践的需要，数的概念进一步扩充，自然数被叫做正整数，而把它们的相反数叫做负整数，介于正整数和负整数中间的中性数叫做0。它们合起来叫做整数。（注：现在，自然数的概念有了改变，包括正整数和0）
对于整数可以施行加、减、乘、除四种运算，叫做四则运算。又叫算术，它与几何学是最古老的两门数学分支。传统的几何学已经枯萎，而传统的数论（即算术）还有大量的问题无法解决。其中加法、减法和乘法这三种运算，在整数范围内可以毫无阻碍地进行。也就是说，任意两个或两个以上的整数相加、相减、相乘的时候，它们的和、差、积仍然是一个整数。但整数之间的除法在整数范围内并不一定能够无阻碍地进行，利用这一性质人们发明了大数密码体系。至今仍然关系着国家的安全。
相当经典的一本数论基础书，acm有帮助！
Counting from the beginning of human society and the natural numbers have been dealing with, and later due to the needs of practice, the number of further expansion of the concept of natural number is called a positive integer, while the opposite of the number of them is called the negative integers, between positive integers and negative integers in the middle of the characteristic number is called 0. They together are called integers. (Note: At present, the concept of natural numbers have changed, including the positive integers, and 0) (2009-08-26, Pascal, 239KB, 下载5次)