Difference between revisions of "Mersenne prime"

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A Mersenne [prime] is a prime that is in the form of <math>2^n-1</math>.  
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A Mersenne [[prime]] is a prime that is in the form of <math>2^n-1</math>.  
  
 
These are some of the largest primes known to man due to one main factor: There is an integer bit value set to that, so that the largest number with a certain amount of bits is a form of <math>2^n-1</math>
 
These are some of the largest primes known to man due to one main factor: There is an integer bit value set to that, so that the largest number with a certain amount of bits is a form of <math>2^n-1</math>

Revision as of 21:33, 30 June 2011

A Mersenne prime is a prime that is in the form of $2^n-1$.

These are some of the largest primes known to man due to one main factor: There is an integer bit value set to that, so that the largest number with a certain amount of bits is a form of $2^n-1$

For example: The amount of numbers on a 32 bit computer is $2^32$. Then, divide by 2, as there are positive, and negative values. Then subtract one, as zero is one of them, so the largest number on a 32 bit computer is 2,147,483,647. (Not necessarily the largest number displayed, to achieve a higher number, a computer could use a base system other than 2.)

The largest prime is $2^{43112609}-1$, and it is a Mersenne prime.