Prime numbers, the building blocks of mathematics, have fascinated for centuries − now technology is revolutionizing the search for them
- Written by Jeremiah Bartz, Associate Professor of Mathematics, University of North Dakota
Prime numbers are numbers that are not products of smaller whole numbers.Jeremiah BartzA shard of smooth bone etched with irregular marks dating back 20,000 years puzzled archaeologists until they noticed something unique – the etchings, lines like tally marks, may have represented prime numbers. Similarly, a clay tablet from 1800 B.C.E. insc...