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42nd Mersenne Prime Probably Discovered

Posted by Zonk on from the so-many-digits dept.

RTKfan writes "Chalk up another achievement for distributed computing! MathWorld is reporting that the 42nd, and now-largest, Mersenne Prime has probably been discovered. The number in question is currently being double-checked by George Woltman, organizer of GIMPS (the Great Internet Mersenne Prime Search). If this pans out, GIMPS will have been responsible for the eight current largest Mersenne Primes ever discovered."

5 of 369 comments (clear)

  1. Would a math geek... by ravenspear · · Score: -1, Redundant

    Care to inform us what a Mersenne prime is? And please don't tell me to RTFA. Come on, this is /. after all.

    1. Re:Would a math geek... by piquadratCH · · Score: 0, Redundant
      In mathematics, a Mersenne prime is a prime number that is one less than a power of two. For example, 3 = 4 - 1 = 2^2 - 1 is a Mersenne prime; so is 7 = 8 - 1 = 2^3 - 1. On the other hand, 15 = 16 - 1 = 2^4 - 1, for example, is not a prime.
      From Wikipedia
  2. good website for info by EaterOfDog · · Score: -1, Redundant

    http://mathworld.wolfram.com/MersennePrime.html

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    Crushing my karma one post at a time.
  3. That website... by daveschroeder · · Score: 0, Redundant

    ...is linked in the summary.

    (Last sentence, "Mersenne Primes".)

    Sheesh.

  4. And??? by michelcultivo · · Score: 0, Redundant

    And what this will change in our computer form or life? Will it reduce the greenhouse effect?

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    http://www.michel.eti.br