A probable prime is a number that passes a test that all primes pass and that most composite numbers fail.…
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Binary surprise
As mentioned in the previous post, the Gauss-Wantzel theorem says you can construct a regular n-gon with a straight edge…
Continue ReadingPredicted distribution of Mersenne primes
We’ll construct a plot below using Python. Note that the conjecture is asymptotic, and so it could make poor predictions…
Continue ReadingStrong primes
There are a couple different definitions of a strong prime. In number theory, a strong prime is one that is…
Continue ReadingImproving on the sieve of Eratosthenes
Ancient algorithmEratosthenes had a good idea for finding all primes less than an upper bound N over 22 centuries ago.…
Continue ReadingNew prime record: 51st Mersenne prime discovered
The largest known prime is nowWritten in hexadecimal the newly discovered prime isFor decades the largest known prime has been…
Continue ReadingRSA with one shared prime
The RSA encryption setup begins by finding two large prime numbers..These numbers are kept secret, but their product is made…
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