Re: [MLUG - DISCUSSION] Missouri Researchers Find Largest Prime Number

[Stephen Montgomery-Smith <EMAIL:PROTECTED>]

Rick Buford wrote:
> Nathan Odle wrote:
>
> > Oh, it wasn't a criticism of you...rather the AP, who rarely 'gets' 
> > science/math/engineering stories unless they involve religion, 
> > politics, or crime.
> >
> > -N
> >
> > Mike Miller wrote:
> >
> > > On Wed, 4 Jan 2006, Nathan Odle wrote:
> > >
> > > > Mike Miller wrote:
> > > >
> > > > > Update 1: Mo. Researchers Find Largest Prime Number
> > > >
> > > >
> > > > Headline is a little misleading, isn't it?  If you RTFA it says 
> > > > largest *known* prime number, but the headline reads as if it means 
> > > > "Largest Prime Number [period]".
> > >
> > >
> > >
> > > I guess I would have noticed if it had occurred to me that there is a 
> > > finite number of primes.  There are infinitely many primes and none 
> > > is the largest.  Titles are often shortened like that.
> > >
> > > Mike
>
>
> So, for the more mathematically challenged of us, what is the benefit of 
> this kind of research?

I think that it is fair to say that the main benefit of this kind of 
research is the intellectual challenge.  Rather like climbing Mount Everest.


--

Stephen Montgomery-Smith
EMAIL:PROTECTED
http://www.math.missouri.edu/~stephen

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