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45th Known Mersenne Prime Found?

Posted by samzenpus on from the really-big-number dept.

An anonymous reader writes "The Great Internet Mersenne Prime Search (GIMPS) has apparently discovered a new world-record prime number. A GIMPS client computer reported the number on August 23rd, and verification is currently under way. The verification could take up to two weeks to complete. The last Mersenne prime discovered was over 9.8 million digits long, strongly suggesting that the new value may break the 10 million digit barrier — qualifying for the EFF's $100,000 prize!"

1 of 396 comments (clear)

  1. Cryptography anyone? by elguillelmo · · Score: 0, Flamebait

    Yeah, you are damn right, large prime numbers have no use whatsoever!

    Least of all for us using The Internets!
    /sarcasm

    For all things prime, I suggest you read Music of the primes. It's a good read and quite informative on the subject.

    --
    Dawkins Revisited: A person is shit's way of making more shit -- Steve Barnett, anthropologist.