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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."

3 of 369 comments (clear)

  1. No, it's not an oxymoron, it's just a regular one by Thud457 · · Score: 0, Troll

    In chicken sexing, a Mersenine prime is a hermaphroditic chick.

    --

    the preceding comment is my own and in no way reflects the opinion of the Joint Chiefs of Staff

  2. Re:Of course... by JonLatane · · Score: 0, Troll
    Really, now? Where did you find the number, exactly, since, quoth the article:

    the exact exponent of the new find has not yet been made public

    All that's been verified is that its exponent is between 24,036,584 and 33,219,253. If you don't know the exponent for the Mersenne number then you obviously can't tell what it is, now can you? So, uh, how could you tell it's divisible by 3? Assuming you're trying using the good old "add the digits" method, I think it's worth noting that this number has between 7.2 and 10 million digits, making that method effectively useless, especially with a "quick glance."

  3. Re:Of course... by pv2b · · Score: 0, Troll

    Assuming you're trying using the good old "add the digits" method, I think it's worth noting that this number has between 7.2 and 10 million digits, making that method effectively useless, especially with a "quick glance."

    Heh. You understood the punchline and yet completely failed to get the joke at the same time. Congratulations.