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Fast Facts:
- The only even prime number is 2
- Earliest Contributor: Euclid
- Other Prominent Contributors: Eratosthenes, Marin Mersenne, Pierre de Fermat, Jacques Hadamard, Charles de la Vallee Poussin, Derrick Norman Lehmer
- Major Property: base 10 prime numbers except 2 and 5 end in 1, 3, 7 or 9
- Special Primes: Wieferich Prime, Mersenne Prime, Fermat Primes, Sophie Germain Prime
- Largest Known Prime: 2 raised to the 32,582,657 (9,808,358 digits long, 44th Mersenne Prime)
- Applications: Cryptography, srts and literature, nature
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History
The history of primes begins with Euclid, who, circa 300 BC, discovered there was an infinite number of prime numbers. Eratosthenes developed a simple, yet useful method to determine primes called the Sieve of Eratosthenes around 200 BC. In the 17th century Pierre de Fermat developed the Fermat Primes. French mathematician Marin Mersenne developed the definition of a Mersenne Prime during the same time period. During the late 19th century the proof of the Prime Number Theorem was completed by Jacques Hadamard and Charles Jean de la Valle Poussin. Modern computers have accelerated the search for the largest prime number. -
Determining if a number is prime
While Eratosthenes method for finding primes is simple and effective for small numbers, the modern Sieve of Atkin, although more complex, is faster when properly used. One simple method for determining whether a number is prime is to divide by all primes less than or equal to the square root of that number. If the divisions yield a remainder, the number is not prime. Otherwise the number is prime. Mathematicians can also determine whether or not a number of prime by using Primality Tests. These tests include Pepin's Test, Proth's Theorem and the Lucas Lehmer Test. -
Prime numbers in popular culture
Primes are also seen in arts and literature, such as in the the novel Contact, the play Arcadia and in several films (The Cube, Sneakers, The Mirror Has Two Faces and A Beautiful Mind). -
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The Mahalo Top 7
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YouTube Video: The Language of Mathematics: Prime Numbers (Time: 3:42)
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The Beauty of Mathematics: The Prime Number Theorem
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Wolfram Mathworld: Prime Number
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Wikipedia: Prime Numbers
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University of St. Andrews: Prime Numbers
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Camosun College: Sieve of Eratosthenes
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University of Tennessee at Martin: The Prime Pages
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YouTube Video: The Language of Mathematics: Prime Numbers (Time: 3:42)
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Prime Numbers on Twitter Powered by Twitter
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@cloudcontrol Hehe - expected that. Actually, I was mildly disappointed that it wasn't all prime numbers. /nerdmode
@rperdio | November 13, 2009 12:26 AM -
Captain's Log: Dollhouses, Prime Numbers, and Neuromancers http://tinyurl.com/yermwz2
@scifisquad | November 13, 2009 12:26 AM -
WIN! RT @sacca: I believe the easiest way to create the world's largest prime is: string end-to-end all of my 2009 hotel/motel room numbers
@rstbob | November 12, 2009 11:51 PM -
I believe the easiest way to create the world's largest prime is to string end-to-end all of my 2009 hotel/motel room numbers.
@sacca | November 12, 2009 11:49 PM -
Weird. I'm looking at a long list of Fibonacci numbers. So far the ones with prime index are all square free.
@mathpunk | November 12, 2009 09:34 PM
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Prime Numbers on Amazon | View All
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Prime Numbers: The Most Mysterious Figures in Math - $24.95
A fascinating journey into the mind-bending world of prime numbers Cicadas of the genus Magicicada appear once every 7, 13, or 17 years. Is it just a coincidence that these are all prime numbers? How do twin primes differ...
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The Prime Numbers and Their Distribution (Student Mathematical Library, Vol. 6) (Student Mathematical Library, V. 6) - $19.00
We have been curious about numbers--and prime numbers--since antiquity. One notable new direction this century in the study of primes has been the influx of ideas from probability. The goal of this book is to provide insights into the pr...
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Prime Numbers: A Computational Perspective - $74.95
Prime numbers beckon to the beginner, the basic notion of primality being accessible to a child. Yet, some of the simplest questions about primes have stumped humankind for millennia. In this book, the authors concentrate on the computation...
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The New Book of Prime Number Records - $89.95
The Guinness Book made records immensely popular. This book is devoted, at first glance, to present records concerning prime numbers. But it is much more. It explores the interface between computations and the theory of prime numbers. The b...
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Questions and Answers About Prime Numbers | View All | Ask a Question
View All Prime Numbers Questions (1147) | Ask a QuestionWhat are the roles of the Prime Minister of Japan? (1 Answer)The Prime Minister of Japan, after being appointed by the Emperor from the Japanese legislature (called the Diet), has the following responsibilities: * Heads the Japanese Cabinet, appointing and dismissing ... read moreExplain how the Transit Circle telescope was used to determine the Prime Meridian (2 Answers)Precise measurements are made with respect to a system of wires in the micrometer in the focal plane of the eyepiece. -quote- "The north-south coordinate (the declination) is measured with ... read moreHow is the Prime Meridian used to determine time? (1 Answer)The Earth's surface was divided into 24 equal segments, with the 360 degrees divided into 15 degree slices. The division started at the meridian crossing Greenwich, England (the prime meridian) ... read moreare prime numbers finite? prove it. (1 Answer)Euclid says not. "Theorem: There are infinitely many prime numbers. Proof: Suppose the opposite, that is, that there are a finite number of prime numbers. Call them p1, p2, p3, ... read more
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Prime Numbers Theories
- Wolfram Mathworld: Prime Number Theorem | Fibonacci Prime | Legendre's Conjecture | Mersenne Prime
- Wikipedia: Cramer's Conjecture | Schinzel's hypothesis H | Fermat Prime
- This page was created by Kerry, a Part Time Guide in the Mahalo Greenhouse (see the original), mentored by Susan and curated by Lelah.
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