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An Amazing Prime Heuristic.Pdf
This document has been moved to https://arxiv.org/abs/2103.04483 Please use that version instead. AN AMAZING PRIME HEURISTIC CHRIS K. CALDWELL 1. Introduction The record for the largest known twin prime is constantly changing. For example, in October of 2000, David Underbakke found the record primes: 83475759 264955 1: · The very next day Giovanni La Barbera found the new record primes: 1693965 266443 1: · The fact that the size of these records are close is no coincidence! Before we seek a record like this, we usually try to estimate how long the search might take, and use this information to determine our search parameters. To do this we need to know how common twin primes are. It has been conjectured that the number of twin primes less than or equal to N is asymptotic to N dx 2C2N 2C2 2 2 Z2 (log x) ∼ (log N) where C2, called the twin prime constant, is approximately 0:6601618. Using this we can estimate how many numbers we will need to try before we find a prime. In the case of Underbakke and La Barbera, they were both using the same sieving software (NewPGen1 by Paul Jobling) and the same primality proving software (Proth.exe2 by Yves Gallot) on similar hardware{so of course they choose similar ranges to search. But where does this conjecture come from? In this chapter we will discuss a general method to form conjectures similar to the twin prime conjecture above. We will then apply it to a number of different forms of primes such as Sophie Germain primes, primes in arithmetic progressions, primorial primes and even the Goldbach conjecture. -
A Note on the Origin of the Twin Prime Conjecture
A Note on the Origin of the Twin Prime Conjecture by William Dunham Department of Mathematics & Computer Science, Muhlenberg College; Department of Mathematics, Harvard University (visiting 2012-2013) More than any other branch of mathematics, number As the title suggests, de Polignac’s paper was about theory features a collection of famous problems that took prime numbers, and on p. 400 he stated two “theorems.” centuries to be proved or that remain unresolved to the It should be noted that he was not using the word in its present day. modern sense. Rather, de Polignac confirmed the truth of Among the former is Fermat’s Last Theorem. This these results by checking a number of cases and thereby states that it is impossible to find a whole number n ≥ 3 called them “theorems.” Of course, we would call them, at and whole numbers x , y , and z for which xn + yn = zn . best, “conjectures.” The true nature of these statements is suggested by the fact that de Polignac introduced them In 1640, as all mathematicians know, Fermat wrote this in under the heading “Induction and remarks” as seen below, a marginal note and claimed to have “an admirable proof” in a facsimile of his original text. that, alas, did not fit within the space available. The result remained unproved for 350 years until Andrew Wiles, with assistance from Richard Taylor, showed that Fermat was indeed correct. On the other hand, there is the Goldbach conjecture, which asserts that every even number greater than 2 can be expressed as the sum of two primes. -
Number 73 Is the 37Th Odd Number
73 Seventy-Three LXXIII i ii iii iiiiiiiiii iiiiiiiii iiiiiiii iiiiiii iiiiiiii iiiiiiiii iiiiiiiiii iii ii i Analogous ordinal: seventy-third. The number 73 is the 37th odd number. Note the reversal here. The number 73 is the twenty-first prime number. The number 73 is the fifty-sixth deficient number. The number 73 is in the eighth twin-prime pair 71, 73. This is the last of the twin primes less than 100. No one knows if the list of twin primes ever ends. As a sum of four or fewer squares: 73 = 32 + 82 = 12 + 62 + 62 = 12 + 22 + 22 + 82 = 22 + 22 + 42 + 72 = 42 + 42 + 42 + 52. As a sum of nine or fewer cubes: 73 = 3 13 + 2 23 + 2 33 = 13 + 23 + 43. · · · As a difference of two squares: 73 = 372 362. The number 73 appears in two Pythagorean triples: [48, 55, 73] and [73, 2664, 2665]. Both are primitive, of course. As a sum of three odd primes: 73 = 3 + 3 + 67 = 3 + 11 + 59 = 3 + 17 + 53 = 3 + 23 + 47 = 3 + 29 + 41 = 5 + 7 + 61 = 5 + 31 + 37 = 7 + 7 + 59 = 7 + 13 + 53 = 7 + 19 + 47 = 7 + 23 + 43 = 7 + 29 + 37 = 11 + 19 + 43 = 11 + 31 + 31 = 13 + 13 + 47 = 13 + 17 + 43 = 13 + 19 + 41 = 13 + 23 + 37 = 13 + 29 + 31 = 17 + 19 + 37 = 19 + 23 + 31. The number 73 is the 21st prime number. It’s reversal, 37, is the 12th prime number. Notice that if you strip off the six triangular points from the 73-circle hexagram pictured above, you are left with a hexagon of 37 circles. -
Draft Framework for a Teaching Unit: Transformations
Co-funded by the European Union PRIMARY TEACHER EDUCATION (PrimTEd) PROJECT GEOMETRY AND MEASUREMENT WORKING GROUP DRAFT FRAMEWORK FOR A TEACHING UNIT Preamble The general aim of this teaching unit is to empower pre-service students by exposing them to geometry and measurement, and the relevant pe dagogical content that would allow them to become skilful and competent mathematics teachers. The depth and scope of the content often go beyond what is required by prescribed school curricula for the Intermediate Phase learners, but should allow pre- service teachers to be well equipped, and approach the teaching of Geometry and Measurement with confidence. Pre-service teachers should essentially be prepared for Intermediate Phase teaching according to the requirements set out in MRTEQ (Minimum Requirements for Teacher Education Qualifications, 2019). “MRTEQ provides a basis for the construction of core curricula Initial Teacher Education (ITE) as well as for Continuing Professional Development (CPD) Programmes that accredited institutions must use in order to develop programmes leading to teacher education qualifications.” [p6]. Competent learning… a mixture of Theoretical & Pure & Extrinsic & Potential & Competent learning represents the acquisition, integration & application of different types of knowledge. Each type implies the mastering of specific related skills Disciplinary Subject matter knowledge & specific specialized subject Pedagogical Knowledge of learners, learning, curriculum & general instructional & assessment strategies & specialized Learning in & from practice – the study of practice using Practical learning case studies, videos & lesson observations to theorize practice & form basis for learning in practice – authentic & simulated classroom environments, i.e. Work-integrated Fundamental Learning to converse in a second official language (LOTL), ability to use ICT & acquisition of academic literacies Knowledge of varied learning situations, contexts & Situational environments of education – classrooms, schools, communities, etc. -
A NEW LARGEST SMITH NUMBER Patrick Costello Department of Mathematics and Statistics, Eastern Kentucky University, Richmond, KY 40475 (Submitted September 2000)
A NEW LARGEST SMITH NUMBER Patrick Costello Department of Mathematics and Statistics, Eastern Kentucky University, Richmond, KY 40475 (Submitted September 2000) 1. INTRODUCTION In 1982, Albert Wilansky, a mathematics professor at Lehigh University wrote a short article in the Two-Year College Mathematics Journal [6]. In that article he identified a new subset of the composite numbers. He defined a Smith number to be a composite number where the sum of the digits in its prime factorization is equal to the digit sum of the number. The set was named in honor of Wi!anskyJs brother-in-law, Dr. Harold Smith, whose telephone number 493-7775 when written as a single number 4,937,775 possessed this interesting characteristic. Adding the digits in the number and the digits of its prime factors 3, 5, 5 and 65,837 resulted in identical sums of42. Wilansky provided two other examples of numbers with this characteristic: 9,985 and 6,036. Since that time, many things have been discovered about Smith numbers including the fact that there are infinitely many Smith numbers [4]. The largest Smith numbers were produced by Samuel Yates. Using a large repunit and large palindromic prime, Yates was able to produce Smith numbers having ten million digits and thirteen million digits. Using the same large repunit and a new large palindromic prime, the author is able to find a Smith number with over thirty-two million digits. 2. NOTATIONS AND BASIC FACTS For any positive integer w, we let S(ri) denote the sum of the digits of n. -
Conjecture of Twin Primes (Still Unsolved Problem in Number Theory) an Expository Essay
Surveys in Mathematics and its Applications ISSN 1842-6298 (electronic), 1843-7265 (print) Volume 12 (2017), 229 { 252 CONJECTURE OF TWIN PRIMES (STILL UNSOLVED PROBLEM IN NUMBER THEORY) AN EXPOSITORY ESSAY Hayat Rezgui Abstract. The purpose of this paper is to gather as much results of advances, recent and previous works as possible concerning the oldest outstanding still unsolved problem in Number Theory (and the most elusive open problem in prime numbers) called "Twin primes conjecture" (8th problem of David Hilbert, stated in 1900) which has eluded many gifted mathematicians. This conjecture has been circulating for decades, even with the progress of contemporary technology that puts the whole world within our reach. So, simple to state, yet so hard to prove. Basic Concepts, many and varied topics regarding the Twin prime conjecture will be cover. Petronas towers (Twin towers) Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia 2010 Mathematics Subject Classification: 11A41; 97Fxx; 11Yxx. Keywords: Twin primes; Brun's constant; Zhang's discovery; Polymath project. ****************************************************************************** http://www.utgjiu.ro/math/sma 230 H. Rezgui Contents 1 Introduction 230 2 History and some interesting deep results 231 2.1 Yitang Zhang's discovery (April 17, 2013)............... 236 2.2 "Polymath project"........................... 236 2.2.1 Computational successes (June 4, July 27, 2013)....... 237 2.2.2 Spectacular progress (November 19, 2013)........... 237 3 Some of largest (titanic & gigantic) known twin primes 238 4 Properties 240 5 First twin primes less than 3002 241 6 Rarefaction of twin prime numbers 244 7 Conclusion 246 1 Introduction The prime numbers's study is the foundation and basic part of the oldest branches of mathematics so called "Arithmetic" which supposes the establishment of theorems. -
A Family of Sequences Generating Smith Numbers
1 2 Journal of Integer Sequences, Vol. 16 (2013), 3 Article 13.4.6 47 6 23 11 A Family of Sequences Generating Smith Numbers Amin Witno Department of Basic Sciences Philadelphia University 19392 Jordan [email protected] Abstract Infinitely many Smith numbers can be constructed using sequences which involve repunits. We provide an alternate method of construction by introducing a generaliza- tion of repunits, resulting in new Smith numbers whose decimal digits are composed of zeros and nines. 1 Introduction We work with natural numbers in their decimal representation. Let S(N) denote the “digital sum” (the sum of the base-10 digits) of the number N and let Sp(N) denote the sum of all the digital sums of the prime factors of N, counting multiplicity. For instance, S(2013) = 2+0+1+3 = 6 and, since 2013 = 3 × 11 × 61, we have Sp(2013) = 3+1+1+6+1 = 12. The quantity Sp(N) does not seem to have a name in the literature, so let us just call Sp(N) the p-digit sum of N. The natural number N is called a Smith number when N is composite and S(N)= Sp(N). For example, since 22 = 2 × 11, we have both S(22) = 4 and Sp(22) = 4. Hence, 22 is a Smith number—thus named by Wilansky [4] in 1982. Several different ways of constructing Smith numbers are already known. (See our 2010 article [5], for instance, which contains a brief historical account on the subject as well as a list of references. -
Tessellations: Lessons for Every Age
TESSELLATIONS: LESSONS FOR EVERY AGE A Thesis Presented to The Graduate Faculty of The University of Akron In Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree Master of Science Kathryn L. Cerrone August, 2006 TESSELLATIONS: LESSONS FOR EVERY AGE Kathryn L. Cerrone Thesis Approved: Accepted: Advisor Dean of the College Dr. Linda Saliga Dr. Ronald F. Levant Faculty Reader Dean of the Graduate School Dr. Antonio Quesada Dr. George R. Newkome Department Chair Date Dr. Kevin Kreider ii ABSTRACT Tessellations are a mathematical concept which many elementary teachers use for interdisciplinary lessons between math and art. Since the tilings are used by many artists and masons many of the lessons in circulation tend to focus primarily on the artistic part, while overlooking some of the deeper mathematical concepts such as symmetry and spatial sense. The inquiry-based lessons included in this paper utilize the subject of tessellations to lead students in developing a relationship between geometry, spatial sense, symmetry, and abstract algebra for older students. Lesson topics include fundamental principles of tessellations using regular polygons as well as those that can be made from irregular shapes, symmetry of polygons and tessellations, angle measurements of polygons, polyhedra, three-dimensional tessellations, and the wallpaper symmetry groups to which the regular tessellations belong. Background information is given prior to the lessons, so that teachers have adequate resources for teaching the concepts. The concluding chapter details results of testing at various age levels. iii ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS First and foremost, I would like to thank my family for their support and encourage- ment. I would especially like thank Chris for his patience and understanding. -
Arxiv:Math/0103191V1 [Math.NT] 28 Mar 2001
Characterization of the Distribution of Twin Primes P.F. Kelly∗and Terry Pilling† Department of Physics North Dakota State University Fargo, ND, 58105-5566 U.S.A. Abstract We adopt an empirical approach to the characterization of the distribution of twin primes within the set of primes, rather than in the set of all natural numbers. The occurrences of twin primes in any finite sequence of primes are like fixed probability random events. As the sequence of primes grows, the probability decreases as the reciprocal of the count of primes to that point. The manner of the decrease is consistent with the Hardy–Littlewood Conjecture, the Prime Number Theorem, and the Twin Prime Conjecture. Furthermore, our probabilistic model, is simply parameterized. We discuss a simple test which indicates the consistency of the model extrapolated outside of the range in which it was constructed. Key words: Twin primes MSC: 11A41 (Primary), 11Y11 (Secondary) 1 Introduction Prime numbers [1], with their many wonderful properties, have been an intriguing subject of mathematical investigation since ancient times. The “twin primes,” pairs of prime numbers {p,p+ 2} are a subset of the primes and themselves possess remarkable properties. In particular, we note that the Twin Prime Conjecture, that there exists an infinite number of these prime number pairs which differ by 2, is not yet proven [2, 3]. In recent years much human labor and computational effort have been expended on the subject of twin primes. The general aims of these researches have been three-fold: the task of enumerating the twin primes [4] (i.e., identifying the members of this particular subset of the natural numbers, and its higher-order variants “k-tuples” of primes), the attempt to elucidate how twin primes are distributed among the natural numbers [5, 6, 7, 8] (especially searches for long gaps in the sequence [9, 10, 11]), and finally, the precise estimation of the value of Brun’s Constant [12]. -
Half Domination Arrangements in Regular and Semi-Regular Tessellation Type Graphs 3
HALF DOMINATION ARRANGEMENTS IN REGULAR AND SEMI-REGULAR TESSELLATION TYPE GRAPHS EUGEN J. IONASCU Abstract. We study the problem of half-domination sets of vertices in transitive infinite graphs generated by regular or semi-regular tessellations of the plane. In some cases, the results obtained are sharp and in the rest, we show upper bounds for the average densities of vertices in half- domination sets. 1. Introduction By a tiling of the plane one understands a countable union of closed sets (called tiles) whose union is the whole plane and with the property that every two of these sets have disjoint interiors. The term tessellation is a more modern one that is used mostly for special tilings. We are going to be interested in the tilings in which the closed sets are either all copies of one single regular convex polygon (regular tessellations) or several ones (semi-regular tessellations) and in which each vertex has the same vertex arrangement (the number and order of regular polygons meeting at a vertex). Also we are considering the edge-to-edge restriction, meaning that every two tiles either do not intersect or intersect along a common edge, or at a common vertex. According to [4], there are three regular edge-to-edge tessellations and eight semi-regular tessellations (see [4], pages 58-59). The generic tiles in a regular tessellation, or in a semi-regular one, are usually called prototiles. For instance, in a regular tessellation the prototiles are squares, equilateral triangles or regular hexagons. We will refer to these tessellations by an abbreviation that stands for the ordered tuple of positive integers that give the so called vertex arrangement (i.e. -
Eureka Issue 61
Eureka 61 A Journal of The Archimedeans Cambridge University Mathematical Society Editors: Philipp Legner and Anja Komatar © The Archimedeans (see page 94 for details) Do not copy or reprint any parts without permission. October 2011 Editorial Eureka Reinvented… efore reading any part of this issue of Eureka, you will have noticed The Team two big changes we have made: Eureka is now published in full col- our, and printed on a larger paper size than usual. We felt that, with Philipp Legner Design and Bthe internet being an increasingly large resource for mathematical articles of Illustrations all kinds, it was necessary to offer something new and exciting to keep Eu- reka as successful as it has been in the past. We moved away from the classic Anja Komatar Submissions LATEX-look, which is so common in the scientific community, to a modern, more engaging, and more entertaining design, while being conscious not to Sean Moss lose any of the mathematical clarity and rigour. Corporate Ben Millwood To make full use of the new design possibilities, many of this issue’s articles Publicity are based around mathematical images: from fractal modelling in financial Lu Zou markets (page 14) to computer rendered pictures (page 38) and mathemati- Subscriptions cal origami (page 20). The Showroom (page 46) uncovers the fundamental role pictures have in mathematics, including patterns, graphs, functions and fractals. This issue includes a wide variety of mathematical articles, problems and puzzles, diagrams, movie and book reviews. Some are more entertaining, such as Bayesian Bets (page 10), some are more technical, such as Impossible Integrals (page 80), or more philosophical, such as How to teach Physics to Mathematicians (page 42). -
New Yorker Article About Yitang Zhang
Solving an Unsolvable Math Problem - The New Yorker http://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2015/02/02/pursuit-beautySave paper and follow @newyorker on Twitter Profiles FEBRUARY 2, 2015 ISSUE TABLE OF CONTENTS The Pursuit of Beauty Yitang Zhang solves a pure-math mystery. BY ALEC WILKINSON don’t see what difference it can make Unable to get an now to reveal that I passed high-school academic position, Zhang kept the books for a math only because I cheated. I could Subway franchise. add and subtract and multiply and PHOTOGRAPH BY PETER Idivide, but I entered the wilderness when BOHLER words became equations and x’s and y’s. On test days, I sat next to Bob Isner or Bruce Gelfand or Ted Chapman or Donny Chamberlain—smart boys whose handwriting I could read—and divided my attention between his desk and the teacher’s eyes. Having skipped me, the talent for math concentrated extravagantly in one of my nieces, Amie Wilkinson, a professor at the University of Chicago. From Amie I first heard about Yitang Zhang, a solitary, part-time calculus teacher at the University of New Hampshire who received several prizes, including a MacArthur award in September, for solving a problem that had been open for more than a hundred and fifty years. The problem that Zhang chose, in 2010, is from number theory, a branch of pure mathematics. Pure mathematics, as opposed to applied mathematics, is done with no practical purposes in mind. It is as close to art and philosophy as it is to engineering. “My result is useless for industry,” Zhang said.