Comment by pfortuny
7 hours ago
In some sense the title is a bit misleading (one is led to think of Analytic Number Theory). I'd rather use the title "Using differentials to...", which is more precise, as there is not exactly any "calculus" going on but there is indeed differential algebra and differential "number theory", so to speak.
But great and elegant article. Thanks.
Actually it is Calculus in p-adic numbers!
Mmmmhhhh, sure? Because p-adic numbers have characteristic 0, AFAIK.
The technical term is "formal derivative" b/c there are no limits involved, it's basically a rewrite rule for changing x^n to nx^(n-1).
I know, yes, but did not want to digress. Thanks though. Actually, it is the "extension" to K[e] with e^2=0, as "usual".
The infinitesimally thickened point.