13 million digit prime number found

[aeroparrot]

http://www.cnn.com/2008/TECH/09/27/prim ... index.html

[Lightning Bolt]

so what?

..and somebody wants to pay money to know this??

I know... I'm being flip about this, but I am trying to conjure up the relevance of this discovery,
other than the ability to program a computer to chase this algorithm

[bravedave]

so what?

..and somebody wants to pay money to know this??

I know... I'm being flip about this, but I am trying to conjure up the relevance of this discovery,
other than the ability to program a computer to chase this algorithm

F'n awesome PIN...

[aeroparrot]

so what?

..and somebody wants to pay money to know this??

I know... I'm being flip about this, but I am trying to conjure up the relevance of this discovery,
other than the ability to program a computer to chase this algorithm

You're probably right. Just wanted to share this to all the math/computer geeks who come in here.

[Skibo]

This is good news indeed. I look forward to the next discovery.

[BFinnsUp]

This is significant because large prime numbers are used in encryption algorithms. It is a really cool discovery, but as for an impact directly on your life there isn't much of one. It has to be combined with a lot of other things to be useful in a practical way.

Plus, when you pony up to the bar to talk to the good looking blond at the end it is a great conversation starter. If she happens to be a mathematician with working on her PhD she may be impressed.

[ScarletB]

This is significant because large prime numbers are used in encryption algorithms. It is a really cool discovery, but as for an impact directly on your life there isn't much of one. It has to be combined with a lot of other things to be useful in a practical way.

Plus, when you pony up to the bar to talk to the good looking blond at the end it is a great conversation starter. If she happens to be a mathematician with working on her PhD she may be impressed.

I have a very cute single friend who actually WOULD be impressed if you knew this. She's one of my best friends but I have NO clue what it is she really does for a living!

[Lightning Bolt]

This is significant because large prime numbers are used in encryption algorithms. It is a really cool discovery, but as for an impact directly on your life there isn't much of one. It has to be combined with a lot of other things to be useful in a practical way.

Plus, when you pony up to the bar to talk to the good looking blond at the end it is a great conversation starter. If she happens to be a mathematician with working on her PhD she may be impressed.

Thank you.
That is a reasonable answer... one of which I still do not fully understand,
but if it means a possible breakthrough to aid U.S. security and business interests...well, alrighty then!

[flyboy55]

so what?

..and somebody wants to pay money to know this??

I know... I'm being flip about this, but I am trying to conjure up the relevance of this discovery,
other than the ability to program a computer to chase this algorithm

You're probably right. Just wanted to share this to all the math/computer geeks who come in here.

I have a math degree.

There are a number of interesting points about this accomplishment, but like someone else pointed out, large primes are the foundation of computer encryption and therefore internet security.

The fact that this prime was discovered using distributed computing (75 networked machines running Windows XP!) once again demonstrates (as did SETI@HOME among others) that yoking together dozens (or hundreds or thousands) of networked computers can result in computing power previously only available in large expensive supercomputer mainframes ( e.g. Cray Research).

There are implications for security down the road if networked users can approach that kind of computing power.

[CaptainP]

so what?

..and somebody wants to pay money to know this??

I know... I'm being flip about this, but I am trying to conjure up the relevance of this discovery,
other than the ability to program a computer to chase this algorithm

You're probably right. Just wanted to share this to all the math/computer geeks who come in here.

I have a math degree.

There are a number of interesting points about this accomplishment, but like someone else pointed out, large primes are the foundation of computer encryption and therefore internet security.

The fact that this prime was discovered using distributed computing (75 networked machines running Windows XP!) once again demonstrates (as did SETI@HOME among others) that yoking together dozens (or hundreds or thousands) of networked computers can result in computing power previously only available in large expensive supercomputer mainframes ( e.g. Cray Research).

There are implications for security down the road if networked users can approach that kind of computing power.

Until the computer says, "I'm sorry Dave. I'm afraid I can't do that"

[alphabits]

Did they discover this while working on that $700 billion bail-out plan?

[CaptainP]

Did they discover this while working on that $700 billion bail-out plan?

They thought they were setting the new Prime RATE....