Unsolved Mystery of Prime Numbers: Why Is It So Hard?

In summary, the conversation is about prime numbers and the difficulty of finding a pattern for them. While it is possible to write code to find all the primes, the challenge lies in finding an analytical expression for the number of primes less than or equal to a given number. This problem remains unsolved, despite statistical approximations being available.
  • #1
quddusaliquddus
354
2
Hi,
Let's talk about Prime Numbers. Still an unsolved mystery, I don't understand why it's still unsolved. Has anyone discovered why its hard to find a pattern? Or is this a silly question?
 
Physics news on Phys.org
  • #2
What do you mean, hard to find a pattern? I can write a few lines of code to find all the primes. The divisions can take ages for the larger primes, but the pattern of code is very simple.
 
  • #3
You can define a function of numbers P(n), which is the number of primes less than or equal to n. So P(3) is 2, because there are two primes (2 and 3) less than or equal to 3. P(10) is 4. And with a programmed filter you can evaluate P(n) for any given n.

The problem, however is to find an analytical expression for P(n). And that is the one that is unsolved. They have good statistical approximations, but no closed form solution.
 
  • #4
I don't mean code.
Thanks guys.
 

1. Why are prime numbers considered an unsolved mystery?

Prime numbers have been studied for thousands of years, yet there is still no clear understanding of their patterns and properties. This makes them an ongoing mystery in the field of mathematics.

2. What makes it so hard to solve the mystery of prime numbers?

The main difficulty in solving the mystery of prime numbers is that there is no known formula or algorithm to generate all prime numbers. While there are some techniques to find prime numbers, they are not efficient for very large numbers. Additionally, prime numbers have complex and seemingly random patterns, making it difficult to find any underlying rules.

3. What have been some of the major attempts to solve this mystery?

Over the years, many mathematicians have tried to solve the mystery of prime numbers. Some notable attempts include Euclid's proof that there are infinitely many prime numbers, Goldbach's Conjecture, and the Riemann Hypothesis.

4. Why is it important to solve the mystery of prime numbers?

Prime numbers play a crucial role in modern cryptography and security systems, making it important to understand their properties and patterns. Additionally, solving the mystery of prime numbers could lead to advancements in other areas of mathematics and science.

5. Is there any progress being made in solving this mystery?

Yes, there have been various breakthroughs and progress made in understanding prime numbers. For example, the Green-Tao Theorem proved that there are arbitrarily long arithmetic progressions of prime numbers, and the AKS Primality Test provided a polynomial-time algorithm for determining if a number is prime. However, there is still much to be discovered and understood about prime numbers, making it an ongoing and fascinating mystery.

Similar threads

Replies
5
Views
399
Replies
8
Views
356
  • Programming and Computer Science
Replies
22
Views
730
  • General Discussion
Replies
4
Views
2K
  • Precalculus Mathematics Homework Help
Replies
12
Views
1K
Replies
1
Views
758
  • Programming and Computer Science
Replies
14
Views
2K
  • General Discussion
Replies
5
Views
1K
  • Engineering and Comp Sci Homework Help
Replies
32
Views
3K
  • General Discussion
Replies
8
Views
5K
Back
Top