master_q 0 Posted December 29, 2003 (edited) On December 2, 2003 the new largest Mersenne Prime has been found! 220996011 - 1 (6,320,430 decimal digits) Mersenne prime numbers is a # of the form Mn = 2n - 1 Here's a sample of what the # looks like in decimal (a very small look): Click for Spoiler: 12597689545033010502049430957482431145599341608535183595225467012565498768908351560221240096802828536132544127158323325481150465301076316712373525865122379762339 216809775290417412103179302776674988327013170222994298484439414938614146923615146 405320384930131677411867193308775658535744726248719065403711481011864235214608870 615842409469314611448863715681657029267796819632752301201087556786613770461055495 933585005892941397606910142976732340458356485482829104205410261521824675460358635 318886299052948972072378456299284969747785194967449947263357778460084073054227063 237230857386208786801217637324944607176406405201315319242434805555451075151859547 651927121451554795786023853642248011842056001818692085289670633662434434237963360 482574004972907875893795774564139846253964750557261083366582544778267753655854004 516485291984069227982534801882639875735243814139761859976740903614383300776007640 602879886776451060696950192685474337560217722801456673504766585339594202214986116 171839848399529321311217504574314623727784867403638943909356397548795460505395781 567056690146345502254952233911362464420761736131062023409653833540487998295787428 536268747609573194990589952585284058978406612371425447432039473118242332718966808 523385318546746710849171861091272207252470562642242593727097871110063852394002273 177286535115268249200180376713447682216016738872018116273341803334492004921645687 859123784269412899800784483155912339308539368668807933038384576412491897416260897 238990465481682071284158496846173252789328618622512214627650931542584898931886886 039492274475887949616084062719223538358005653738372935422217395612489591373385198 645998355370672802198211220540831165529170860779249091078198026760261418715271639 823146051357841009765921182804421467332078278639820153068805189398472900287029222 609101030332699112203653971967358352828566973911710159905429577162539180954521754 020988752410211257746635034013461597207864738708767984851946560307460134849915416 231609087243482132232052496957174116650790359084627875586064675273836290397197574 310752981277220988572746902808990793228734980082274371 . . . . [The complete # saved on a HD is about 7 MB!)] Another Prime # Topic: http://www.startrekfans.net/index.php?showtopic=3119 Master Q StarTrek_Master_Q@yahoo.com Edited December 29, 2003 by master_q Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
A l t e r E g o 9 Posted December 29, 2003 I couldn't be more happy over the news but what's it mean? B) How will it help us? Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
master_q 0 Posted December 29, 2003 (edited) I couldn't be more happy over the news but what's it mean? B) How will it help us? To a certain degree nothing (lol), but it does help us develop an understanding of Number Theory. It can help prove or disprove certain theories. And just searching for primes help mathematicians understand Number Theory. A primality test really tests that understating. If you look at the topic that I linked to it will give some more info. Master Q StarTrek_Master_Q@yahoo.com Edited December 29, 2003 by master_q Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
A l t e r E g o 9 Posted December 29, 2003 It can help prove or disprove certain theories. Ahhh, that makes sense. Thanks. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
master_q 0 Posted December 29, 2003 (edited) It can help prove or disprove certain theories. Ahhh, that makes sense. Thanks. Well then go back to my other topic on a method to test primes made by Fermat. It says - If any # “p” is a prime and any # “a” is < p, then a^(p-1) – 1 will be divisible by p Example) p =7 2^(7-1) – 1 = 63 63 is divisible by 7 2^(n-1) – 1 And in this we want to find out if n is a prime then we have to figure out if it is divisible by n. BUT even if it is divisible by n this does not mean that it must be a prime! For Example) 341 is not a prime, but it is divisible into 2^340 – 1 We get a pseudoprime. Now that we looked at # 341 we now know that Fermat’s property is not always correct. It does not give us primes all the times, but can give us pseudoprimes too. {EDIT} I found math typos Master Q StarTrek_Master_Q@yahoo.com Edited December 29, 2003 by master_q Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
A l t e r E g o 9 Posted December 29, 2003 B) *looks up to see what just flew over head* B) Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
master_q 0 Posted December 29, 2003 Ummm. . . pretend we always thought the Fermat method works. Then we test the number 341. It passes the Fermat test, but after much work we find out that it is not a prime. Now after we did that we learned something new. Master Q StarTrek_Master_Q@yahoo.com Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
A l t e r E g o 9 Posted December 29, 2003 pretend we always thought the Fermat method works. Then we test the number 341. It passes the Fermat test, but after much work we find out that it is not a prime. Now after we did that we learned something new. Oh yeah, I've learned something: never ask a math question! But seriously, your explanation (in laymans terms) has helped bring me closer to understanding. B) Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
master_q 0 Posted December 29, 2003 Oh yeah, I've learned something: never ask a math question! But seriously, your explanation (in laymans terms) has helped bring me closer to understanding. B) Good to hear. It is a bit more complex, but that's one of the basic benefits. In my other topic that I created in June/July the APRCL test is now used but the more #s we find hopefully we then can find more shortcuts in finding primes and at the same time understand the concept of number theory to a greater degree Master Q StarTrek_Master_Q@yahoo.com Share this post Link to post Share on other sites