Snappy newsletters. Simple Facebook sharing. Spirited comments. Sweet features are waiting… GET THEM NOW!

Big Discovery: Largest Prime Number

Newest Mersenne 'like finding a diamond'

By Rob Quinn,  Newser Staff

Posted Feb 6, 2013 3:53 AM CST

(Newser) – The Great Internet Mersenne Prime Search just paid dividends in the hunt for ever-bigger prime numbers, the New Scientist reports. University of Central Missouri mathematician Curtis Cooper has discovered the biggest prime number yet, a 17 million-digit behemoth, as part of GIMPS. The project uses...   Read full story »

COMMENTS
You need to Log in to Newser to comment. Don't have an account yet? Sign up now!
21 comments
 

NEWS FROM OUR PARTNERS
Other Sites We Like:   24/7 Wall St.   |   BuzzFeed   |   Cracked   |   World History Project   |   POPSUGAR Tech   |   Business Insider   |   HuffPost Entertainment   |   NewsOne