Science in the News Twelve-Year Search Uncovers Two Massive Prime Numbers

[David Farber <dave () farber net>]

Begin forwarded message:


from the San Diego Union-Tribune (Registration Required)
Quick, what's the biggest prime number you know? OK, here's some help:  
A prime number is a number divisible only by 1 and itself. Most folks  
can recite a handful of prime numbers, usually the first few: 2, 3, 5,  
7, 11 and so on.
According to the Greek mathematician Euclid, who invented geometry a  
few thousand years ago, there's actually no end to prime numbers. They  
just go on forever.
[Last] week, two groups of mathematicians, including a San Diegan,  
announced they had discovered the two largest prime numbers yet.  
Neither goes on forever, but both numbers are too big to be printed in  
full here: One is 12,978,189 digits long; the other is 11,185,272  
digits.
http://snipurl.com/3rzsf




-------------------------------------------
Archives: https://www.listbox.com/member/archive/247/=now
RSS Feed: https://www.listbox.com/member/archive/rss/247/
Powered by Listbox: http://www.listbox.com