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In Search of Woodall Primes

In Search of Woodall Primes

Stand-up mathematician Matt Parker explains the obscure Woodall prime numbers

More or Less · BBC Radio 4

June 30, 201720m 0s

Show Notes

It’s the 100 year centenary of an obscure type of prime number – the Woodall Primes. To celebrate, stand-up mathematician Matt Parker is calling on listeners to search for a new one. Ordinary citizens can already help search for Mersenne Prime numbers by lending computer processing power to GIMPS – the Great Internet Mersenne Prime Search. Matt explains to Tim Harford what a Woodall Prime is, and why it deserves more attention.

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(image Matt Parker / photographer: Steve Ullathorne)