42nd Mersenne Prime Probably Discovered

RTKfan writes "Chalk up another achievement for distributed computing! MathWorld is reporting that the 42nd, and now-largest, Mersenne Prime has probably been discovered. The number in question is currently being double-checked by George Woltman, organizer of GIMPS (the Great Internet Mersenne Prime Search). If this pans out, GIMPS will have been responsible for the eight current largest Mersenne Primes ever discovered."

Of course...

[rackhamh]

... the moment they discovered the 42nd prime, the world was immediately destroyed to make way for an intergalactic superhighway.

Great. Now what is it???????

[solafide]

Tell us what it is!!! We can't confirm it either until he says what it is!

Congratulations George! Now what use is this? In cryptology? But how?

Re:Uses?

[selectspec]

Chics dig it.

Sheesh

[Anonymous Coward]

The number in question is currently being double-checked by George Woltman, organizer of GIMPS

And while George takes time off to double-check Mersenne primes, GIMP doesn't get any closer to the usability of Photoshop...

If I do say so myself.

[Anonymous Coward]

Now that's a prime find!

Re:Uses?

[Husgaard]

I don't the any real use for this except finding large primes.

The theory is that there is an infinite number of these numbers, but they are unlikely to prove the theory by finding them all...

Mersenne Primes? Bah!

[Guano_Jim]

Call me when a distributed computing project finds Fruit Fucker Prime. [penny-arcade.com]

Probably silly reference

[serutan]

Reminds me of the first BlackAdder episode

Lord Percy: "The King is dead! L-"
Prince Harry [interrupting]: "Probably dead."
Lord Percy: "The King is probably dead!"

Re:Uses?

[kaedemichi255]

Not to mention, it's just a side effect of the male syndrom of giant prime number envy.

Spoiler alert about the number

[Anonymous Coward]

Don't read any farther if you don't like spoilers.






Seriously, don't reead any farther....






It only has two factors.

Re:Great. Now what is it???????

[Anonymous Coward]

Binary is pretty easy. The number is:

11111...1111

where "..." means some number of 1s.

Re:Uses?

[ackthpt]

Chics dig it.

Either that or their eyes glaze over and you sneak a quick peck before they slap you silly.

"ah, l'amour"

Woohoo! The world is saved!

[kakos]

Now that we've found the 42nd Mersenne Prime, we can cure cancer, cure AIDs, solve all NP problems in deterministic polynomial time, travel faster than light, and solve world hunger.

Thank you Great Internet Mersenne Prime Search!

Re:Immoral use of computing power

[Stanistani]

>What is number going to for us? Is it going to feed us? No. It would be better if the computer power was used for cancer research or finding aliens.

Because of course aliens will feed us...
They even will bring a cookbook with them, "To Serve Mankind."

Re:If I do say so myself.

[cyriustek]

But what are the implications to the Prime Directive?

Yes!

[Anonymous Coward]

If this pans out, GIMPS will have been responsible for the eight current largest Mersenne Primes ever discovered.

In your face, Photoshop!

Re:Great. Now what is it???????

[ArsonSmith]

The biggest problem with cryptology right now is the inability to factor large prime numbers. Once we have the computeing power to do so cryptology strength will be increased greatly.

Re:Of course...

[micromoog]

Now that was a prime rib!

Can't see the pattern?

[nitio]

Of course it will do all this things... it's the 42nd Mersenne Prime...

the trouble is

[pmike_bauer]

The number in question is currently being double-checked by George Woltman

Ok...lets see here...

5465875133124687545551258898456556......98034802

BUMMER!

Re:Immoral use of computing power

[redivider]

Personally, I think having a "Free iPods" link in your sig is a more immoral use of computing power than searching for prime numbers.

Re:Uses?

[adeyadey]

Hi darling, ooh is that a gigantic Mersenne Prime, or are you just pleased to see me?

OMG! Do you know what this means!?!?!

[Eskimore_]

OMG! Do you know what this means!?!?!

.

.

No really, please tell me. I haven't a clue...

Re:Uses?

[ArsonSmith]

no, it just seams that way. Chick's will put out just to shut you up.

Re:Practical Applications/Uses?

[myowntrueself]

So... the main reason for searching for large primes is to develop better techniques for... searching for large primes?

GIMPS vs The GIMP

[Anonymous Coward]

These guys should sue each other for trademark infringement.

With any luck they'd both be forced to change their name to something sensible.

Re:A Mersenne Prime is...

[Derek Pomery]

I can print it out even faster.
Here.
2^64-1 for example.
1111111111111111111111111111111111111111 1111111111 1111111111111

Oh.
You want it represented in base 10? :)

Re:Practical Applications/Uses?

[geoffspear]

Transmitting the same binary signal over and over seems unlikely to impress anyone. You're as likely to be sending a really boring all-white image as a really big prime number.

If anything, anyone receiving the signal will wonder how you managed to build such a powerful transmitter when you haven't discovered binary numbers yet and are apparently using some sort of unary mathematics that really shouldn't work. They're bound to be disappointed when they find out you actually know about "0", but just weren't using it.

Re:That brings back some memories...

[nizo]

Actually it did bring back memories, just not the right ones :-)

Overheard in the Math Dept...

[Shadow Wrought]

"OK, I've narrowed the range down to between zero and infinity. The rest is up to you..."

Full text of article

[utexaspunk]

72,881,090,798,676,481,947,445,843,876,689,972,113 ,188,382,077,838,576,766,415,271,554,183,554,023,6 81,926,442,357,773,229,141,527,132,801,050,545,169 ,980,023,429,475,382,981,277,026,411,446,450,732,1 20,206,920,761,648,530,323,773,463,358,502,551,340 ,699,145,522,328,264,108,074,466,176,204,798,818,5 91,643,822,008,785,083,299,073,103,153,980,722,122 ,415,403,264,180,661,744,484,810,522,551,289,556,1 61,305,278,379,785,516,809,393,766,311,656,230,448 ,542,351,852,881,090,798,676,481,947,445,843,876,6 89,972,113,188,382,077,838,576,766,415,271,554,183 ,554,023,681,926,442,357,773,229,141,527,132,801,0 50,545,169,980,023,429,475,382,981,277,026,411,446 ,450,732,120,206,920,761,648,530,323,773,463,358,5 02,551,340,699,145,522,328,264,108,074,466,176,204 ,798,818,591,643,822,008,785,083,299,073,103,153,9 80,722,122,415,403,264,180,661,744,484,810,522,551 ,289,556,161,305,278,379,785,516,809,393,766,311,6 56,230,448,542,351,852,881,090,798,676,481,947,445 ,843,876,689,972,113,188,382,077,838,576,766,415,2 71,554,183,554,023,681,926,442,357,773,229,141,527 ,132,801,050,545,169,980,023,429,475,382,981,277,0 26,411,446,450,732,120,206,920,761,648,530,323,773 ,463,358,502,551,340,699,145,522,328,264,108,074,4 66,176,204,798,818,591,643,822,008,785,083,299,073 ,103,153,980,722,122,415,403,264,180,661,744,484,8 10,522,551,289,556,161,305,278,379,785,516,809,393 ,766,311,656,230,448,542,351,852,881,090,798,676,4 81,947,445,843,876,689,972,113,188,382,077,838,576 ,766,415,271,554,183,554,023,681,926,442,357,773,2 29,141,527,132,801,050,545,169,980,023,429,475,382 ,981,277,026,411,446,450,732,120,206,920,761,648,5 30,323,773,463,358,502,551,340,699,145,522,328,264 ,108,074,466,176,204,798,818,591,643,822,008,785,0 83,299,073,103,153,980,722,122,415,403,264,180,661 ,744,484,810,522,551,289,556,161,305,278,379,785,5 16,809,393,766,311,656,230,448,542,351,852,881,090 ,798,676,481,947,445,843,876,689,972,113,188,382,0 77,838,576,766,415,271,554,183,554,023,681,926,442 ,357,773,229,141,527,132,801,050,545,169,980,023,4 29,475,382,981,277,026,411,446,450,732,120,206,920 ,761,648,530,323,773,463,358,502,551,340,699,145,5 22,328,264,108,074,466,176,204,798,818,591,643,822 ,008,785,083,299,073,103,153,980,722,122,415,403,2 64,180,661,744,484,810,522,551,289,556,161,305,278 ,379,785,516,809,393,766,311,656,230,448,542,351,8 52

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meaning of life, bah

[zenst]

All that distibuted processing power to work out how long to hold the `1` key down :)

Re:3 = 11, 7 = 111

[Surt]

The real problem with using this to communicate with aliens will be deciding whether to use bigendian or littleendian encoding.

Re:Yes!

[oO Peeping Tom Oo]

I'm a gimp, you insensitive clod!

Re:This is news?

[Artifakt]

I've found the trick, but it's too large to include in the margin of this little box Slashdot gives me. :-)

Re:Uses?

[tibike77]

Nah, it's just the "Answer to Life, The Universe and Every Existing Mersene Prime Number".

Wait, I mean just the 42th Mersene prime ;)

so very interesting

[sacrilicious]

The study of such numbers has a long and interesting history

Reminds me of when Bart Simpson's 4th-grade class was forced by Principal Skinner to have their annual field trip take place at a box company (instead of the hoped for chocolate factory / fireworks outlet / circus):

Tour guide (speaking in monotone nasal voice): The story of how two brothers (and five other men) parlayed a small business loan into a thriving paper-goods concern is a long and interesting one. And, here it is: it all began with the filing of form 637/A, the application for a small business or farm...