Former Nvidia programmer finds world’s largest prime number comprising 41 million digits

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Understanding prime numbers

To put it simply, prime numbers are whole numbers greater than one that can only be divided by one and themselves, such as 2, 3, 5, and 7. Durant’s historic discovery has been classified as a Mersenne prime, a special category named after French monk Marin Mersenne, who studied these numbers over 350 years ago. Mersenne primes, noted for their rarity, take the form ‘2ᵖ – 1’ and are vital for various mathematical applications.

The importance of Mersenne primes

While many large prime numbers serve crucial roles in internet security, Mersenne primes are significant for different reasons. Dr Kevin Buzzard, a professor of pure mathematics at Imperial College London, highlighted the broader implications of such discoveries, stating, “The historical record of the world’s largest prime tells us something about the historical capability of computers and the progress of humanity in this area.”

Announcing the discovery

Durant’s groundbreaking research was unveiled on October 21 by the Great Internet Mersenne Prime Search (GIMPS), a pioneering community-based initiative. This project exemplifies citizen science, enabling non-specialists to contribute to the search for the largest known primes. “I recognised that the GIMPS community has put together an incredible system with amazing technology for searching for huge prime numbers,” Durant remarked.

Harnessing technology for prime discovery

To embark on this project, Durant first familiarised himself with GIMPS software and learned to utilise cloud computing. He then ingeniously combined these resources, effectively creating a powerful supercomputer by harnessing systems worldwide. Volunteers from cities across the globe participate in GIMPS, running the project’s software on their personal computers to assist in the ongoing search for new primes.

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Pushing boundaries in mathematics

Durant’s motivation to seek the largest prime numbers stems from his passion for building large computing systems and exploring the boundaries of physics. He expressed a desire to “push the boundaries of the known universe in whatever small way I was able.” Reflecting on the significance of his findings, he stated, “These enormous prime numbers are, in some senses, the largest ‘unique pieces of information’ in the known universe.”