Mersenne primes are rare indeed: the new record is more than 16 million digits larger than the previous one, and is only the 52nd ever discovered. We know there are infinitely many prime numbers.

A prime number is a whole number that can only be divided by 1 and itself. A former Nvidia programmer discovered the world's largest known prime number using graphics processing units.

Former Nvidia programmer Luke Durant used an unusual computer setup to discover a Mersenne prime that is — wait for it — 41 million digits long.

In this case, however, Durant’s Mersenne prime number find may provide a very clear example of how GPU cloud supercomputers can be used to advance far more than just controversial AI projects.

Prime numbers have captivated mathematicians for thousands of years—and now cloud computing is helping them chase the biggest ones yet.

Today, primes in this form are called Mersenne primes after the French monk Marin Mersenne. Many of the largest known primes follow this format. While not always true, number theorists realized that ...

Mersenne primes are a rare kind of number, making Durant’s finding of the 52nd known Mersenne prime even more impressive.

Eight of the 10 largest known prime numbers are Mersenne primes, so GIMPS and cloud computing are poised to play a prominent role in the search for record-breaking large prime numbers.

Mersenne primes are a rare kind of number, making Durant’s finding of the 52nd known Mersenne prime even more impressive.

Eight of the 10 largest known prime numbers are Mersenne primes, so GIMPS and cloud computing are poised to play a prominent role in the search for record-breaking large prime numbers.