An introduction to the theory of surreal numbers

the long version

The surreal numbers form a system which includes both the ordinary real numbers and the ordinals. Since their introduction by J. H. Conway, the theory of surreal numbers has seen a rapid development revealing many natural and exciting properties. These notes provide a formal introduction to the theory in a clear and lucid style. The the author is able to lead the reader through to some of the problems in the field. The topics covered include exponentiation and generalized e-numbers.