Without consulting any references, what’s the largest prime number you can think of?
Section 5.1 The Biggest Prime
Subsection 5.1.1 Introduction
What’s the largest number you can think of? Can you ever really answer that question? Maybe not truthfully, but maybe we can ask about certain types of numbers.
What about primes? Is there a biggest prime? Euclid, in 300 BC, told answered this question with "no". He showed us that there an infinite number of primes. But surely there is a largest prime that we know of... right?
Question 5.1.1.
But what about all of humanity? What is the largest prime that we know of?
Activity 5.1.1.
In 2020, the MAA magazine, Math Horizons, featured an article by Scott Williams, "How Big is the ’Biggest’ Prime?". Read this article to answer the following questions.
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digitaleditions.sheridan.com/publication/?m=53548&i=685648&p=4&ver=html5
Question 5.1.2.
Question 5.1.3.
Question 5.1.4.
Question 5.1.5.
Question 5.1.6.
Question 5.1.7.
Research into primes is on-going. Have we made any progress since the writing of this article?
Question 5.1.8.
Do a quick online search to find what the largest known prime number is as of today.
Subsection 5.1.2 Math Horizons
The MAA oversees several publications spanning a variety mathematical topics inteded for a variety of audiences. Some journals, such as Math Magazine and the College Mathematics Journal, feature peer-reviewed research articles with novel results in mathematics.
Math Horizons, though, is inteded for an undergraduate audience. Math Horizons feature accessible, engaging, and fun articles about mathematical topics. According to the MAA, "Math Horizons is a vibrant and accessible forum for practitioners, students, educators, and enthusiasts of mathematics, dedicated to exploring the folklore, characters, and current happenings in mathematical culture."
If you are a member of the MAA, then you have access to Math Horizons! Check out more of Math Horizons here.
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maa.org/math-horizons/
