Great Internet Mersenne Prime Search

Some of you long time readers may remember way back in August of 2007 when I tried to run GIMPS on my new MacBook. That didn't work out because I never spent the time I needed to spend on figuring out the installation and setup for the Mac. But if you click on the user summary link above, you will hopefully see my newly established GIMPS account. I'm back on the search for a Mersenne prime number after a break of 10 years (which was the last time I had unlimited access to a PC but I got caught and had to stop running the program).

From the graphic here you see that Mersenne primes are in the form of (2^p)-1. Pick any number for p. Use that as the exponent for 2. Then subtract 1 from the product. If the difference is prime, the prime is called a Mersenne prime.

Read more at Mersenne Primes: History, Theorems and Lists, maintained by Chris K. Caldwell.

This has all happened because of my new Dell PC. I'm still a MacAddict but have added this machine (a gift from John) to ease my photography problems. And while I'm at it, I can do other stuff, like GIMPS, that I couldn't do on a Mac.

I'm going to re-submerge myself in more caffeine and smoke now . . .

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I'm in GIMPS Again!

I am so psyched! Ten years ago I used my computers to help search for new prime numbers in the Great Internet Mersenne Prime Number Search (GIMPS). Somewhere along the way, I got a new Mac, the code was not available to run on the new Mac, and I never got back to it. Until today! I complained that there wasn't any software for the new Intel Macs and George Woltman himself e-mailed me with a link to a package and that package is working!

You could discover one of the most coveted finds in all of Mathematics - a new Mersenne prime number. We've found ten already. Join in on this fun, yet serious research project. All you need is a personal computer, patience, and a lot of luck.

If you don't know what Mersenne primes are, don't worry! I shall bore you with this in the future! But I have to go clean the house in preparation for the weekend. And the otters are playing in the beaver ponds so I have to keep an eye on them.

In addition to the joy of making a mathematical discovery, you might win some cash. The Electronic Frontier Foundation is offering a $100,000 award to the first person or group to discover a ten million digit prime number! See how GIMPS will distribute this award if we are lucky enough to find the winning ten million digit prime.

Sad note: Wingnut is going home tomorrow. GIMPS, otters, photography, the church's Chicken Pie Supper will all keep me busy so I don't get too depressed.

Technorati tags: mathematics Mersenne+prime GIMPS

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