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UCLA group discovers humungous prime number
AP via SFGate ^ | 9/27/8

Posted on 09/27/2008 9:55:04 AM PDT by SmithL

LOS ANGELES (AP) -- Mathematicians at UCLA have discovered a 13-million-digit prime number, a long-sought milestone that makes them eligible for a $100,000 prize.

The group found the 46th known Mersenne prime last month on a network of 75 computers running Windows XP. The number was verified by a different computer system running a different algorithm.

"We're delighted," said UCLA's Edson Smith, the leader of the effort. "Now we're looking for the next one, despite the odds."

It's the eighth Mersenne prime discovered at UCLA.

(Excerpt) Read more at sfgate.com ...


TOPICS: Education; Science
KEYWORDS: mathmatics; primenumber
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I'm impressed
1 posted on 09/27/2008 9:55:05 AM PDT by SmithL
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To: SmithL

Shouldn’t the computers win the award? They found it!


2 posted on 09/27/2008 9:58:54 AM PDT by Secret Agent Man (I'd like to tell you, but then I'd have to kill you.)
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To: Secret Agent Man

Can someone post the number please?
j/k


3 posted on 09/27/2008 10:00:18 AM PDT by BookaT (My cat's breath smells like cat food!)
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To: SmithL

They found it when looking at the numbers for our national debt.

LQ


4 posted on 09/27/2008 10:02:08 AM PDT by LizardQueen (The world is not out to get you, except in the sense that the world is out to get everyone.)
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To: SmithL

Is the number bleen?


5 posted on 09/27/2008 10:02:31 AM PDT by AJFavish (www.allanfavish.com)
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To: SmithL

On Windows XP? Never! (note my tagline...)


6 posted on 09/27/2008 10:03:16 AM PDT by dware (3 prohibited topics in mixed company: politics, religion and operating systems...)
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To: SmithL

cool!


7 posted on 09/27/2008 10:06:38 AM PDT by AprilfromTexas
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To: AprilfromTexas

And how does this help me?


8 posted on 09/27/2008 10:08:57 AM PDT by WilliamReading
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To: AprilfromTexas

I think the word you want is “kewl”.


9 posted on 09/27/2008 10:10:28 AM PDT by willgolfforfood
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To: SmithL
Mathematicians at UCLA have discovered a 13-million-digit prime number, a long-sought milestone that makes them eligible for a $100,000 prize.

Oddly enough, it happens to coincide with the numbers of votes casted for Democrats by dead people and illegal aliens during the past 50 years.
10 posted on 09/27/2008 10:12:33 AM PDT by Bronco_Buster_FweetHyagh (I cling to guns and religion.)
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To: SmithL

The article doesn;t mention that they found the 46th Mersenne prime and thought it was the 45th Mersenne prime, but then discovered while checking their work that another number was the 45th Mersenne prime, and that the number they thought was the 45th was actually the 46th.


11 posted on 09/27/2008 10:14:45 AM PDT by wideawake (Why is it that those who like to be called Constitutionalists know the least about the Constitution?)
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To: wideawake

I’m sure they weren’t Pell Grant students.


12 posted on 09/27/2008 10:21:01 AM PDT by yorkie01
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To: SmithL

Did taxpayer $$$ fund this? We should get the prize.


13 posted on 09/27/2008 10:28:55 AM PDT by Brian S. Fitzgerald
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To: willgolfforfood

yes, thank you!
;^)


14 posted on 09/27/2008 10:54:50 AM PDT by AprilfromTexas
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To: SmithL

What’s the largest known subprime number?


15 posted on 09/27/2008 11:00:57 AM PDT by Verginius Rufus
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To: AprilfromTexas

No problem. Texas lad helping out a Texas lass.


16 posted on 09/27/2008 11:07:18 AM PDT by willgolfforfood
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To: SmithL
Mathematicians at UCLA have discovered a 13-million-digit prime number, a long-sought milestone that makes them eligible for a $100,000 prize.

If it's been long-sought, then I presume there must have been a need for it. What can the need be or what can one do with it?

17 posted on 09/27/2008 11:10:05 AM PDT by varon (Allegiance to the constitution, always. Allegiance to a political party, never.)
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To: Verginius Rufus

$750,000,000,000


18 posted on 09/27/2008 12:08:58 PM PDT by SmithL (Drill Dammit!)
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To: SmithL

Thats just their recent rush defense statistics in from the NCAA.


19 posted on 09/27/2008 12:55:43 PM PDT by FlJoePa
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To: varon

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Public_key_cryptography


20 posted on 09/27/2008 4:42:18 PM PDT by Slings and Arrows (~ ~ FREE LAZAMATAZ! ~ ~ [Shipping and handling charges may apply.])
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