This is a systematic account of the multiplicative structure of integers, from the probabilistic point of view. The authors are especially concerned with the distribution of the divisors, which is as fundamental and important as the additive structure of the integers, and yet until now has hardly been discussed outside of the research literature. Hardy and Ramanujan initiated this area of research and it was developed by Erdos in the thirties. His work led to some deep and basic conjectures of wide application which have now essentially been settled. This book contains detailed proofs, some of which have never appeared in print before, of those conjectures that are concerned with the propinquity of divisors. Consequently it will be essential reading for all researchers in analytic number theory.

This book provides a self contained, thorough introduction to the analytic and probabilistic methods of number theory. The prerequisites being reduced to classical contents of undergraduate courses, it offers to students and young researchers a systematic and consistent account on the subject. It is also a convenient tool for professional mathematicians, who may use it for basic references concerning many fundamental topics. Deliberately placing the methods before the results, the book will be of use beyond the particular material addressed directly. Each chapter is complemented with bibliographic notes, useful for descriptions of alternative viewpoints, and detailed exercises, often leading to research problems. This third edition of a text that has become classical offers a renewed and considerably enhanced content, being expanded by more than 50 percent. Important new developments are included, along with original points of view on many essential branches of arithmetic and an accurate perspective on up-to-date bibliography.