iiyamadude 6 Posted September 28, 2008 Share Posted September 28, 2008 Check this out. Er, why? Quote: Mathematicians in California could be in line for a $100,000 prize (£54,000) for finding a new prime number which has 13 million digits. Prime numbers can be divided only by themselves and one. The prize was set up by the Electronic Frontier Foundation to promote co-operative computing on the Internet. The team from the University of California at Los Angeles (UCLA) found the new number by linking 75 computers and harnessing their unused power. This enabled them to perform the enormous number of calculations needed to find and verify a new prime. Out of interest though, if anyone has a copy of this prime number, please post it. Link to post Share on other sites
Greenroome 0 Posted September 28, 2008 Share Posted September 28, 2008 Please let's all take a moment to spare a thought for these cats fidgeting away hooking up PC's to each other in some fluoro-lit lab this winter while we're waist-deep in dry, fluffy pow spraining our jaws from grinning... Link to post Share on other sites
swollenbigtime 0 Posted September 28, 2008 Share Posted September 28, 2008 I dunno a $100000 reward for this amazing feat sounds good Link to post Share on other sites
muikabochi 208 Posted September 28, 2008 Share Posted September 28, 2008 Aren't there more important things these megabrains (and equipment) could be used for? Link to post Share on other sites
Tubby Beaver 209 Posted September 28, 2008 Share Posted September 28, 2008 yeah like predicting next weeks lotto numbers and then telling them to me!! Link to post Share on other sites
grungy-gonads 54 Posted September 29, 2008 Share Posted September 29, 2008 You all seem to be missing the importance of these prime numbers -- that they can be divided only by themselves and one. Link to post Share on other sites
soubriquet 0 Posted September 29, 2008 Share Posted September 29, 2008 Your starter for 10. Which prime number is unique? Link to post Share on other sites
grungy-gonads 54 Posted September 29, 2008 Share Posted September 29, 2008 I bet this new on is quite unique! But do tell soubs. Link to post Share on other sites
soubriquet 0 Posted September 29, 2008 Share Posted September 29, 2008 2. It's the only prime which is an even number. Link to post Share on other sites
grungy-gonads 54 Posted September 29, 2008 Share Posted September 29, 2008 Do I get a big prize of cash if I research and find out? It sounds very important. Link to post Share on other sites
soubriquet 0 Posted September 29, 2008 Share Posted September 29, 2008 You already have the answer: "2". Two can only be divided by itself and one! Link to post Share on other sites
big-will 7 Posted September 29, 2008 Share Posted September 29, 2008 Thats very exciting. Why would this research be important? Link to post Share on other sites
soubriquet 0 Posted September 29, 2008 Share Posted September 29, 2008 Oh ye of little faith! You might as well ask what was the point of Rutherford researching the sub-atomic structure of matter. Look where that ended up: the vapourisation of Hiroshima and Nagasaki. What is the point of art or music? It is all about intellectual curiosity, the thing that separates us from the hippocrocagrillapigs. Prime numbers are part of Number Theory, which is part of pure maths. Next time you hand over 150 Yen and receive a can of coffee and 30 Yen in change, remind yourself: "what's the point of Number Theory?". Link to post Share on other sites
big-will 7 Posted September 29, 2008 Share Posted September 29, 2008 I'll be sure to keep that in mind soubriquet Link to post Share on other sites
soubriquet 0 Posted September 29, 2008 Share Posted September 29, 2008 Here's an illustration of the value of maths in everyday social situations. Link to post Share on other sites
its-a-clock 0 Posted September 29, 2008 Share Posted September 29, 2008 Good one that. Maths was never that fun. Link to post Share on other sites
Tubby Beaver 209 Posted September 29, 2008 Share Posted September 29, 2008 But what practical use would spin off this? Link to post Share on other sites
BagOfCrisps 24 Posted September 29, 2008 Share Posted September 29, 2008 The woman maths is quite useful I think. Link to post Share on other sites
rach 1 Posted September 30, 2008 Share Posted September 30, 2008 Is that your work soubs? Link to post Share on other sites
soubriquet 0 Posted September 30, 2008 Share Posted September 30, 2008 No, I filched it. The maths is elementary; I lack the imagination Soubriquette pointed out that men like trouble.. Link to post Share on other sites
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