"This book is well-written and the bibliography excellent," declared Mathematical Reviews of John Knopfmacher's innovative study. The three-part treatment applies classical analytic number theory to a wide variety of mathematical subjects not usually treated in an arithmetical way. The first part deals with arithmetical semigroups and algebraic enumeration problems; Part Two addresses arithmetical semigroups with analytical properties of classical type; and the final part explores analytical properties of other arithmetical systems.

Because of its careful treatment of fundamental concepts and theorems, this text is accessible to readers with a moderate mathematical background, i.e., three years of university-level mathematics. An extensive bibliography is provided, and each chapter includes a selection of references to relevant research papers or books. The book concludes with an appendix that offers several unsolved questions, with interesting proposals for further development.