A basic feature of number theory, prime numbers are also a fundamental building block of computer science, from hashtables to cryptography.

The established research on this test method—as well as the distribution of prime numbers—assured them that they’d find a prime within a reasonable time frame.

The problem is that the prime numbers do not seem to follow a simple pattern and instead appear randomly among the natural numbers.

Paul Nelson has solved the subconvexity problem, bringing mathematicians one step closer to understanding the Riemann hypothesis and the distribution of prime numbers.

For centuries, prime numbers have captured the imaginations of mathematicians, who continue to search for new patterns that help identify them and the way they’re distributed among other numbers.

Mathematicians are stunned by the discovery that prime numbers are pickier than previously thought. The find suggests number theorists need to be a little more careful when exploring the vast ...

The discovery of M136279841 is the first prime found using this new GPU-driven approach, and it signals a new era for both prime hunting and the broader use of GPUs in scientific research.