From: "Mark M." <markm@voicenet.com>
Date: Mon, 2 Dec 1996 16:11:30 -0800 (PST)
To: cypherpunks@toad.com
Subject: Re: A quick discussion of Mersenne Numbers
In-Reply-To: <Pine.LNX.3.94.961202203917.4458C-100000@random.sp.org>
Message-ID: <Pine.LNX.3.95.961202191034.14391B-100000@gak.voicenet.com>
MIME-Version: 1.0
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On Mon, 2 Dec 1996, The Deviant wrote:

> On Mon, 2 Dec 1996, Paul Foley wrote:
> 
> > On Sun, 1 Dec 1996 14:10:13 -0500, Scottauge@aol.com wrote:
> >
> >    A mercenne number is of the type:
> >
> >    M(p) = 2**p -1 results in a prime when p is a prime.
> >
> > *Occasionally* results in a prime when p is prime.  (A Mersenne number
> > is any number of that form, prime or composite.  It so happens that if
> > M(p) is prime, p is prime)
> >
> >    Hopefully this will lead the way to see the pattern of prime
> >    numbers and being able to compute prime numbers in a far more
> >    efficient manner (after all a function that when given a prime
> >    number results in a prime number would be quite a kicker now
> >    wouldn't it!)
> >
> > That's easy: f(x) = x
> >
> >    The other Mersenne primes include:
> >
> >    2,3,5,7,13,17,19,31,127,61,89, and 107.
> >
> > 2, 5, 13, 17, 19, 61, 89 and 107 are not Mersenne numbers :-|
> >
> > The first few Mersenne primes are:
> > 3, 7, 31, 127, 8191, 131071, 524287, 2147483647
> 
> True.. but 1 is. 2^1-1=1

1 isn't prime.  It also isn't composite.  Same for zero.

Mark
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