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There Are Infinitely Many Prime Twins

Posted by michael on from the so-the-theory-goes dept.

fustflum writes "R. F. Arenstorf from Vanderbilt University has presented a 38-page possible proof of the twin-prime conjecture using methods from classical analytic number theory. The paper is on arxiv.org and is freely available to the public. Twin primes are pairs of primes where both p and p + 2 are prime. "It is conjectured that there are an infinite number of twin primes ... but proving this remains one of the most elusive open problems in number theory." More information about twin primes can be found on Mathworld."

14 of 479 comments (clear)

  1. Number theory by PHP+Wolf · · Score: 5, Funny
    but proving this remains one of the most elusive open problems in number theory

    I think we all know the most elusive open problem in number theory is "How many licks does it take to get to the center of a tootsie pop?"

    --

    Double Compile

    1. Re:Number theory by Da+Fokka · · Score: 5, Funny

      Reminds me of a funny story I heard at an algorithm course in college.
      Supposedly this guy thought up this new algorithm to calculate large primes in relatively short time. He was granted the use of the university mainframe. He implemented the progam and ran it.
      After a couple of days the printer started printing out the number, which was so large it needed a pack of sheets to fit on.
      Excited, he looked at the sheets to be gravely disappointed. The last digit was an 8.

      Probably an urban legend, but a nice one for sure :)

    2. Re:Number theory by drinkypoo · · Score: 4, Funny
      By making what has to be approximately the eleventy-teenth reference to the HHGttG you have only made slashdot a more trite place.

      Put another way, you have entirely failed to receive a wrapper depicting an indian shooting a star.

      --
      "You're right," Fisheye says. "I should have set it on 'whip' or 'chop.'"
  2. Old news by Hamster+Of+Death · · Score: 4, Funny

    Glancing at my list of twin primes I can see it's infinite.

  3. I have a better proof by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Funny

    but it hit /.'s maximum post size limit :(

  4. Re:This is why mathematicians are soooo popular. by servognome · · Score: 5, Funny

    "You know, mathematicians theorize that there's an infinite number of prime twins, and... hey, where are you going?"
    You would have gotten farther if you had said that without staring the whole time at her "prime twins"

    --
    D6 63 0D 70 89 81 BB 8E 7B 7C 5F 5D 54 EA AB 73
  5. 38 pages? by Wakkow · · Score: 5, Funny

    They should have put it in 37 pages..

  6. Well, one thing's for sure.. by robbo · · Score: 5, Funny

    they're all odd.

    (Waiting for my spot in the math hall of fame)

    --
    So long, and thanks for all the Phish
  7. Calm down, boys ... by RealAlaskan · · Score: 4, Funny

    That's ``twin primes'', not ``prime twins''. So, no, there is not an infinite supply of hot double dates.

    --
    See what I've been reading.
  8. Alien by Juiblex · · Score: 4, Funny

    In what Alien language is the article written???

  9. twins by sacrilicious · · Score: 4, Funny
    Twin primes are pairs of primes where both p and p + 2 are prime.

    Even rarer are those pairs of primes known as the "conjoined twin" primes: those of the form p and p+1. Not many examples are known, but perhaps an infinite number are waiting to be discovered.

    --
    - First they ignore you, then they laugh at you, then ???, then profit.
  10. He makes a mistake... by b0r0din · · Score: 5, Funny

    Look on page 27. He's trying to integrate homeomorphic convergence using a Baxter-Bates supermodality, which Krause clearly explained is impossible for T(s) in a non-linear progression.

    Ok, just fuckin with ya. My mind wandered after I saw the word 'Abstract.' ;)

    1. Re:He makes a mistake... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Funny

      Yeah, I see a lot of people attempting to integrate homophobic conformance using Master-Bates supermoodality, which Krauds exploded as impenetrable for T/bag in a non-lesbian prostation.

  11. Obvious Generalization by geordieboy · · Score: 4, Funny

    I propose the geordieboy conjecture:

    There are an infinite number of prime n-pairs, where
    an n-pair is a pair of prime integers (p,p+n).

    I also propose geordieboy's second conjecture:

    There are an infinite number of prime tuples, where a prime
    tuple is a set of prime integers of the form (p+a,p+b,p+c,...)
    where (a,b,c,...) is a set of any integers of your choosing.

    Get stuck in you poor bastards!

    --
    The world is everything that is the case