The Implications of Unique Factorization for Gambling

Sandra Spiroff
Mathematics Department, Seattle University

Abstract: How does Unique Factorization apply to gambling? Starting from the familiar notion of factoring integers uniquely, we apply our knowledge of Unique Factorization to determine the probabilities associated with rolling a pair of dice. In addition, we consider the implications of Unique Factorization in Number Theory, Algebraic Geometry, and Commutative Algebra.