Ex-NVIDIA programmer discovers largest-ever prime number with 41 million digits
In a major mathematical breakthrough, Luke Durant, a former NVIDIA programmer, has discovered the world's largest known prime number. The newly-discovered prime number, officially dubbed M136279841, is made up of a whopping 41,024,320 digits. The groundbreaking find comes as the first major advancement in prime numbers in almost six years. Prime numbers are whole numbers greater than 1 and divisible only by 1 and themselves.
Durant's discovery: A rare Mersenne prime
Durant's discovery isn't just any prime number, but a rare Mersenne prime, named after French monk Marin Mersenne who studied these numbers over 350 years ago. This makes Durant's find the 52nd known Mersenne prime, an extraordinary achievement considering the rarity of such numbers. A number is classified as a Mersenne prime if it can be expressed in the form 2p-1.
GIMPS and Durant's journey to discovery
Durant's achievement was announced by The Great Internet Mersenne Prime Search (GIMPS), a community-based project focused on finding new prime numbers. Based out of San Jose, California, Durant used the project's software and cloud computers to run global systems that served as a super-fast supercomputer. This one-of-a-kind approach helped him make his historic discovery.
Durant's prime number discovery: A blend of passion and technology
Durant's quest for prime numbers stemmed from his desire to construct large computing systems and push the limits of Physics. He referred to these humongous prime numbers as the largest 'unique pieces of information' in the known universe. Although they don't have any practical applications, Durant highlighted that the importance of such discoveries is in their ability to inspire future mathematicians.
GPUs: A game-changer in prime number discovery
According to GIMPS, Durant's discovery is the first of its kind to be made using graphics processing units (GPUs). These devices are known for their ability to perform complex mathematical calculations quickly and process large amounts of data simultaneously. Durant's supercomputer incorporated thousands of server GPUs across 24 data center regions in 17 countries, demonstrating the potential of this technology in future prime number discoveries.
