Largest Known Prime Number A very long number...

[unicornrose 0]

I swear some people have way too much time on their hands. LOL. Its so darn amazing to me because numbers go on and on infinitely. I really wonder why they need to know prime numbers so large. How does it help and what does it do for them? I just don't understand why someone would want to know that. My other question is who is paying these people to figure this out? LOL

[AceGirl 0]

I wish I could figure that number out. I would rather work a normal job than do that. I cant think that hard. Id have a mental break down. I have had those in the past... so for me it would not be a good idea.

[kawasu 0]

wat are prime numbers used for anyway? i remember hearing they were sed by the government to encrpypt data or something so whenever a new one was found they paid th e person heaps of money for it. how are they special i mean? i just dont get what they really are... i did them in primary school but they were never used in anything. hmmm... well anyway, i want one of those prime number posters. they're pretty dandy.

[Spyk3z 0]

I think ill go get me a programmers and make a program that checks. I'll be liek 30 befor I get 100,000 but ehh retirement.

[pixieloo 0]

ooh my math teacher had a poster about that.it's interesting because it's the largest prime number KNOWN, and an even larger prime number can be discovered because numbers go on foreverit can't fit on my calculator xP

[Madkat-Z 0]

Gee...and I thought I had no life. Oh well I guess someone has to find the largest prime number sometime, but I kind of wondering the same thing as Kawasu, about the use of prime numbers. I gave it some thought and all I could come up with is that they giving you some what of a break when you factor equations.

[Uentil 0]

Jeeze thats so awsome, it seems like sooner or later, one of those really smart kids would like make a caulculator and be richer than hell and you would like be able to find out every prime number possible. Thats a big reward to offer for finding a number... Dannggg, so much money.

[scab_dog 0]

I seriously think this would be really easy.All you need is a really good computer, i would probably get about 10 Dual 4Ghz comp. And make a program with a loop, of prime..and start it off with the last known number. And leave it running for a year or so. An Wholla hopefully it should have recorded several prime numbers I think that's all you need to do :PWell i read somewhere that in the old days people used to have comps on finding prime numbers. And that during WW2 an Indian discovered a prime number that was used in a calculation in calculating something to do with plant atoms or something. Something about the atoms pairing up. (I'm not sure ='[ )

[Jeune 0]

now thats a pay check i wouldn't mind getting every 2 weeks, but i would think the number will be larger if you just put a 1 as the last number no way you can divide it so thats the solution right their.

Not really. There are some numbers that end in 1 but are not prime. Take for instance 81.

[Florisjuh 0]

Haha that has to be a pretty damn large number :]I wonder how long it takes to find out things like this, years of thinking I guess, not worthy to waste for me if you'd ask.. Still great that some people do take the time to find out these kind of things and keep the life of other geeks interesting for another day.

[Justin 0]

The largest prime number? Why, it's quite simple really...OPTIMUS PRIME.

 

Seriously though, all that money just for some math? Couldn't that money be put to more useful things? AIDs cure? Cure for Cancer? I'm no mathamatician, but I just can't figure out the practical use for that long of a prime number. I started reading about this and I learned that before finding the prime, Cooper and Boone ran the GIMPS program on a peak of 700 CMSU computers for 9 years. I still think they that much power and time could be better spent on something else...

[scab_dog 0]

LOL *justin post* LOL, ROFL.....yeah true if could be used for better things..but still...LOL....how would someones thinking go that a way. Lets just say that *person* sapiens likes challenges.ROFL...

[-bLiNd- 0]

How about 10 000 000 with another 100 000 000 100 000 000 zeros

[mocrohangout 0]

rank prime digits who when reference 1 232582657-1 9808358 G9 2006 Mersenne 44?? 2 230402457-1 9152052 G9 2005 Mersenne 43?? 3 225964951-1 7816230 G8 2005 Mersenne 42?? 4 224036583-1 7235733 G7 2004 Mersenne 41?? 5 220996011-1 6320430 G6 2003 Mersenne 40?? 6 213466917-1 4053946 G5 2001 Mersenne 39 7 27653?29167433+1 2759677 SB8 2005 8 28433?27830457+1 2357207 SB7 2004 9 26972593-1 2098960 G4 1999 Mersenne 38 10 5359?25054502+1 1521561 SB6 2003

[cangor 0]

Interesting! I actually found a method that generates a prime number, but there would have to be a ton of calculations for a number that has 10 million digits. My comp can't handle that.