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

Although prime numbers are a mathematical concept everyone learns about in elementary school, extremely large prime numbers form the backbone of some of the most complex technologies in modern ...

Today, people use complex computing networks to search for prime numbers with millions of digits. But early mathematicians were running these calculations by hand.

Both arithmetic aficionados and the mathematically challenged will be equally captivated by new research that upends hundreds of years of popular belief about prime numbers.

Number theorist Yitang Zhang tackled a problem that could tame the randomness of prime numbers. Credit: George Csicsery/Zala Films A mathematician who went from obscurity to luminary status in ...

A University of Virginia mathematician’s research reveals a surprising connection between integer partitions and prime numbers, earning him national recognition.

As of October 2024, we have found the biggest prime number we know of — and it took almost 6 years to find it. To generate this number, you multiply 2 by itself 136,279,841 times (resulting in an ...

Although prime numbers are a mathematical concept everyone learns about in elementary school, extremely large prime numbers form the backbone of some of the most complex technologies in modern ...

Prime numbers are essential for technologies like RSA encryption, which rely on the difficulty of guessing these numerals. A new paper shows that another area of mathematics called integer partition ...