28 SEP 2021 by ideonexus
Prime Numbers and Cryptography
Algorithms for finding prime numbers date back at least as far as ancient Greece, where mathematicians used a straightforward approach known as the Sieve of Erastothenes. The Sieve of Erastothenes works as follows: To find all the primes less than n, begin by writing down all the numbers from 1 to n in sequence. Then cross out all the numbers that are multiples of 2, besides itself (4, 6, 8, 10, 12, and so on). Take the next smallest number that hasn’t been crossed out (in this case, 3), an...18 JUN 2013 by ideonexus
Proof That the Set of Prime Numbers is Infinite
Theorem: There are infinitely many prime numbers. Proof: Suppose, contrary to the theorem, that there is only a finite number of primes. Thus, there will be a largest which we can call p. Now define a number n as 1 plus the product of all the primes: n = (2 X 3 X 5 X 7 X 11 X...X p) 1 Is n itself prime or composite? If it is prime then our original supposition is false, since n is larger than the supposed largest prime p. So now let’s consider it composite. This means that it must be div...There is always one larger.
12 JAN 2012 by ideonexus
2,305,843,008,139,952,128 is the Greatest Perfect Number ...
230(231-1) ... is the greatest perfect number known at present, and probably the greatest that ever will be discovered; for; as they are merely curious without being useful, it is not likely that any person will attempt to find a number beyond it.231-1 = 2147483647 is a prime number, and a number on which this number relies. The prime number is the largest value for a 32-bit signed integer. Barlow believed no prime greater than this would be discovered as there was no point.