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[Math] Prime number progression?!

Forum Index > General Forum
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graNite
Profile Blog Joined December 2010
Germany4434 Posts
April 21 2011 22:48 GMT
#1
hi tl
i saw a few math topics recently and noticed there are some good mathematics here.
i have a prime number problem and can't solve it.

lets look at this progression (is progression the right word?)

[image loading] with [image loading]

it produces:

2
3
7
127
...

how can i prove that every number coming of this progression is prime?
if that's not possible, how can i disprove it?

ty
"Oink oink, bitches" - Tasteless on Pigbaby winning a map against Flash
Bibdy
Profile Joined March 2010
United States3481 Posts
Last Edited: 2011-04-21 22:50:23
April 21 2011 22:50 GMT
#2
I haven't done mathematical proofs in donkey's years, but I recall the easiest way to disprove something is to find one specific scenario where the rule doesn't work. That's enough to can the whole formula.
graNite
Profile Blog Joined December 2010
Germany4434 Posts
April 21 2011 22:51 GMT
#3
the problem is that the numbers get really high really fast.
after 127 comes 2^127-1 ... (which is prime)
"Oink oink, bitches" - Tasteless on Pigbaby winning a map against Flash
Starfox
Profile Joined April 2010
Austria699 Posts
April 21 2011 23:03 GMT
#4
You are looking at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mersenne_prime basically. If you'd be abelt to proof that every step produces a prime you would be the candidate for the next fields medal for sure. :D
Greek Mythology 2.0: Imagine Sisyphos as a man who wants to watch all videos on youtube... and Tityos as one who HAS to watch all of them.
graNite
Profile Blog Joined December 2010
Germany4434 Posts
April 21 2011 23:05 GMT
#5
Will do.

Anyone with a supercomp here? Need a5 - a100 :D
"Oink oink, bitches" - Tasteless on Pigbaby winning a map against Flash
Antisocialmunky
Profile Blog Joined March 2010
United States5912 Posts
Last Edited: 2011-04-21 23:05:50
April 21 2011 23:05 GMT
#6
:\ can't you google your homework?

The proof is on wiki.
[゚n゚] SSSSssssssSSsss ¯\_(ツ)_/¯
Marine/Raven Guide:http://www.teamliquid.net/forum/viewmessage.php?topic_id=163605
gogogadgetflow
Profile Joined March 2010
United States2583 Posts
April 21 2011 23:08 GMT
#7
If his homework is interesting in and of itself and generates discussion I think he has the right to share it. Of course math isn't my strong suit so I can't say if its interesting or not :p
JingleHell
Profile Blog Joined March 2011
United States11308 Posts
April 21 2011 23:11 GMT
#8
On April 22 2011 08:03 Starfox wrote:
You are looking at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mersenne_prime basically. If you'd be abelt to proof that every step produces a prime you would be the candidate for the next fields medal for sure. :D


Isn't there a cash bounty for calculating new Mersenne primes?
qrs
Profile Blog Joined December 2007
United States3637 Posts
April 21 2011 23:12 GMT
#9
On April 22 2011 08:03 Starfox wrote:
You are looking at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mersenne_prime basically.
Well...a tiny subset of Mersenne primes, anyway.
'As per the American Heart Association, the beat of the Bee Gees song "Stayin' Alive" provides an ideal rhythm in terms of beats per minute to use for hands-only CPR. One can also hum Queen's "Another One Bites The Dust".' —Wikipedia
stepover12
Profile Joined May 2010
United States175 Posts
April 21 2011 23:19 GMT
#10
I was thinking about how to prove it using fermat's little theorem... but according to wiki it is still an open question

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Catalan's_Mersenne_conjecture#Catalan-Mersenne_number

"Although the first five terms (up to M(127)) are prime, no known methods can decide if any more of these numbers are prime (in any reasonable time) simply because the numbers in question are too huge, unless a factor of M(M(127)) is discovered."

Primadog
Profile Blog Joined April 2010
United States4411 Posts
Last Edited: 2011-04-21 23:22:52
April 21 2011 23:20 GMT
#11
[edit] sorry, I don't know what I am talking about.
Thank God and gunrun.
mcc
Profile Joined October 2010
Czech Republic4646 Posts
Last Edited: 2011-04-21 23:25:45
April 21 2011 23:23 GMT
#12
On April 22 2011 08:05 graNite wrote:
Will do.

Anyone with a supercomp here? Need a5 - a100 :D

I don't think any computer will help you to do that. a5 = M127 and is a prime, but above that you are too far out.

If you would be able to prove your statement, then you would have solved one of important unsolved mathematical problems and I do not think anyone here can really help you with that Basically if I see it correctly you would have proven that there is infinite number of Mersenne primes.

EDIT:typo
ptrpb
Profile Joined March 2011
Canada753 Posts
April 21 2011 23:26 GMT
#13
RECURSIVE INDUCTION
FUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUU
Just finished a course on this stuff, but I've forgotten most of it sorry man.
Best of luck though
MBAACC | SG | shit at fighting games
MisterD
Profile Blog Joined June 2010
Germany1338 Posts
April 21 2011 23:27 GMT
#14
i tried ..

(01:24) gp > a = 2
%1 = 2
(01:24) gp > a = 2 ^ a - 1
%2 = 3
(01:24) gp > a = 2 ^ a - 1
%3 = 7
(01:24) gp > a = 2 ^ a - 1
%4 = 127
(01:24) gp > a = 2 ^ a - 1
%5 = 170141183460469231731687303715884105727
(01:24) gp > a = 2 ^ a - 1
*** length (lg) overflow

so .. a5 works, a6 does not work anymore^^ it's a little big.

so for a5:

(01:24) gp > a
%6 = 170141183460469231731687303715884105727
(01:25) gp > factor(a)
%7 = [170141183460469231731687303715884105727 1]

meaning a5 is still prime.
Gold isn't everything in life... you need wood, too!
Day[9]
Profile Blog Joined April 2003
United States7366 Posts
April 21 2011 23:29 GMT
#15
2^67 - 1 = 147,573,952,589,676,412,927 = 193,707,721 x 761,838,257,287

So 2^67 isn't prime : ]

Cheers!

Whenever I encounter some little hitch, or some of my orbs get out of orbit, nothing pleases me so much as to make the crooked straight and crush down uneven places. www.day9.tv
Day[9]
Profile Blog Joined April 2003
United States7366 Posts
April 21 2011 23:30 GMT
#16
Oh shit I misread your post, I thought you were asking about Marsenne primes in general. Agh I'm such a doof
Whenever I encounter some little hitch, or some of my orbs get out of orbit, nothing pleases me so much as to make the crooked straight and crush down uneven places. www.day9.tv
Primadog
Profile Blog Joined April 2010
United States4411 Posts
April 21 2011 23:32 GMT
#17
Can we start nominating Day9 for the fields medal yet?
Thank God and gunrun.
Oracle
Profile Blog Joined May 2007
Canada411 Posts
Last Edited: 2011-04-21 23:37:41
April 21 2011 23:32 GMT
#18
If there were a way to prove that this progression results in primes then people wouldn't be paid $100,000 to find the next largest prime, since 2^a_n - 1 where an is some arbitrarily large prime in that sequence is prime.... we could theoretically have infinitely many large primer numbers, bigger than the largest known prime number.... unless my logic doesnt follow


But what you might say is that youre looking for an upper bound on n for which this statement holds true?

In that case, run a fast fourier transform primality test on a supercomputer with this progession, and hope there exists an n which breaks this progression
graNite
Profile Blog Joined December 2010
Germany4434 Posts
April 21 2011 23:33 GMT
#19
omg i just screamed when i saw you on my thread, becuase i saw your math vid on youtube

pls solve this one !! :D
"Oink oink, bitches" - Tasteless on Pigbaby winning a map against Flash
Rtran10
Profile Joined February 2011
Canada78 Posts
April 21 2011 23:35 GMT
#20
2^8 = 256. (2^8)-1 = 255. 255 is not prime. Am i doing this right?
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