2011 Is One Sexy Prime

This story was published by Boston Globe on January 25, 2010 (online edition) and February 10 (paper edition). Link.


2011 is a sexy prime. And not only in a Playboy calendar.

Like prime ministers and prime ribs, prime numbers are the elite of their kind. They are unbreakable.

Unlike other numbers that can be split into smaller factors (e.g. 6=2 x 3), prime numbers can only be divided by 1 and themselves. Three is prime, so are 5, 7, and 11. The only even prime is 2.

A lot of special numbers around us are primes. Emergency phone numbers 911 and (in some European countries) 101 are primes. The fearful 13 is a prime.

The world of primes is very colorful, especially when you look at their relationship with their neighboring primes. Those that differ by 2, like 3 and 5, are called twin primes. Those that differ by 4 are cousin primes. Two subsequent primes that differ by 6 are called sexy primes — because ‘‘sex’’ is Latin for ‘‘six.’’

2011 and 2017 are two sexy primes. There are also lucky primes, happy primes, Cuban primes, Titanic primes, and many more.

Primes have always been the most talked about numbers; even Pythagoras believed that these unbreakable numbers have some spiritual properties. It was discovered that you can create any number by multiplying or adding the primes together. Check it out: Every even number larger than 6 can be represented as a product of primes and as a sum of two primes. For example: 8 = 2 x 2 x 2 = 5 + 3

But about 40 years ago, primes became celebrities. Math paparazzi all around the world are now hunting for primes. Awards are offered for those who discover hundred-million-digit prime numbers and every new prime spotting is noted and celebrated.
Why? Because any bank transaction, any online purchase, any medical or military data exchange requires data encryption.

Cryptographers found a great encryption mechanism using the observation that when a number is created as a product of two large primes, guessing or computing those primes from the total number is almost impossible. Those primes are used to encrypt the message and serve as a secret digital key known only to the encrypting and decrypting parties.

The more unbreakable you want your code to be, the larger the primes you should use for encryption. Thus, the search for the ultra-large prime numbers.

Want to help search? The good news is that there are infinitely many prime numbers. Euclid proved that. But the bad news is that higher you climb in digits, the more rare these prime numbers are.

The probability of any random number being prime is inversely proportional to the number of its digits (roughly). So, for a hundred-million-digit number, the probability of it being prime is 1/100,000,000, or 0.00000001.

Also, for such large numbers it takes about a month — even for a computer — to check whether any given number is a prime or not.

In addition to helping scramble secret messages, primes can be used to help hide the messages inside an image or audio signal.

As appropriate for celebrities, primes are surrounded by some mysticism. They are not regularly positioned among other numbers, nor are they randomly spread.

Take the recent and future prime years: 2003, 2011, 2017, 2027, 2029. Some are 10 years apart and some only 2. Like fortune tellers, number theory scientists are trying to detect and predict patterns in prime number appearances. Turns out that if you arrange all the numbers in a spiral instead of a number line, and then connect all the primes, you will find some surprising diagonal patterns.

Back to our special year. The upside-down reflection of 2011 on a digital calculator or clock is 5011, which is also a prime. Parents who gave birth on the second Tuesday in January could just remember a bunch of 1s for their child’s birth date: 1/11/11. You can still make it for 11/1/11 or 11/11/11 if you plan ahead. There is also 9/10/11 for grabs.

Since prime is so hip and relevant this year, I suggest we should start using it more outside the context of mathematics, prime ministers, and ribs.

This year’s Oscar ceremony hosts — James Franco and Anne Hathaway — are undoubtedly two sexy primes, while the Oscars (and Superbowl) winners could be referred to as lucky primes. And who would argue that Leonardo DiCaprio and Kate Winslet are Titanic primes?

Tom Brady, what can we say about him? With a #12 and the recent devastating Patriots’ loss to the Jets, he is ‘‘almost prime’’— that, believe it or not, also happens to be a math term.

With 11 (also a prime number) out of the 12 months ahead of us, there is still plenty of time to make this year a very happy and important prime.

Top cartoon by Peter Mesnik.

Know your primes? Take TheMathMom's prime numbers quiz created specially for Boston Globe to test your skills. Over 20,000 people took this quiz!



44 comments:

  1. When I initially commented I clicked the "Notify me when new comments are added" checkbox and now each time a comment
    is added I get three e-mails with the same comment. Is there any way you can
    remove me from that service? Thanks!

    Here is my web site :: how to make a lot of money fast online

    ReplyDelete
  2. I have been waiting for someone to share this post. This has actually made me think and I hope to read more. Thanks a lot for sharing with us.

    ReplyDelete
  3. I love to read this type of material Good and attractive information I take from it..Thank you for posting such a good article.

    ReplyDelete
  4. I am not sure if this is actually the best place to ask but do you folks have any ideea where to hire some professional writers? Thanks in advance how to grow bigger breast in a week | comment perdre du ventre femme

    ReplyDelete
  5. Thank you for your friendship and the time you spent. Those moments changed my day — heck, the rest of the year and then some. I appreciate your faith and perspective.
    No, not at all, Iwinski said. "Having said that, if they were delivery on Oct 8 and they would declare it before us, then we would look, I don't know, for Nov or something. Because there are so few RPGs that it's really a very ridiculous concept to provide them simultaneously."
    friv game | gahe games | yepi100 | juegos mafa | yepi100 | kizi100 | friv7

    ReplyDelete
  6. Posts shared useful information and meaningful life, I'm glad to be reading this article and hope to soon learn the next article. thank you
    yepi games | g9g games | hopy games | kizi games | friv games

    ReplyDelete
  7. Those of the interesting information you always bring out the best that I know, thanks.

    ReplyDelete
  8. Escorts aren't whores; they are a long way from it. Escorts in Jaipur aren't paid for sex, they are paid for their time and fraternity. This doesn't imply that there won't be any sexual relations amid your booking. It simply implies that sex isn't their essential part and they ought not to be considered as simply call girls in Jaipur. A decent meaning of an escort can be

    ReplyDelete
  9. The value of this expression is prime or composite.

    A = 1.3.5 ..... 13-20

    B = 11111111 111111 ........ (with 2010 digits 1)

    C = 111111111 ..... 1111 (with 2000 places 1)

    D = 1010101

    E = 2011.2012.2013.2014 + 1

    Dora , Kizi new , G9G , 4 Games , 85 jogos , Friv 4 , kizi 2 , Huz , 85 Play

    ReplyDelete
  10. Terima kasih sudah berbagi kasih untuk shifa , donasi yg sudah di dapat total 4jt sudah di serahkan lsng ke Ibundanya shifa di RS Islam , oleh Ratna Megasari , kondisi shifa sekarang sudah nga sesak lagi , tapi kondisi ya masih lemah
    Loola Games
    Loola
    Juegos Loola
    Loola
    Loola Games

    ReplyDelete
  11. Thanks for share this blog it’s very helpful for me and, Welcome to the home of Escorts in Jaipur Agency, independent escorts in Ahmedabada, If you are want 2 or 3 young and beautiful escorts in Ahmedabada or Jaipur then I can arrange more girls for you.
    Ahmedabad escorts
    call girls service in Jaipur
    Model escorts Service Ahmedabad
    Bhubaneswar Escort
    Russian escort Service Ahmedabad
    Jaipur model escort

    ReplyDelete

  12. بهترین مارک یخچال هم یک روزی خراب میشه و نیاز به تعمیر دارد. اگر احساس می کنید تعمیر یخچال در محل نیاز دارید سرچ کنید.$nbsp;با مراجعه به محل جهت تعمیر یخچال صرفه جویی در وقت صورت می گیرد. انواع کرکره با تیغه کرکره کیفیتش سنجیده می شود. فروش و نصب کرکره برقی با هزینه ای مناسب.$nbsp;شرکت های مختلفی در خصوص عرضه کرکره برقی فعالیت می کنند. آخرین اخبار اقتصادی ایران و جهان به صورت لحظه به لحظه در سایت آتیسام دنبال کنید . از اخبار اقتصادی جهان چه خبر ؟ رکود اقتصادی داشتیم این هفته یا نه ؟$nbsp;صندوق بین المللی پول : امسال و سال آینده مطابق با پیش بینی اقتصاددانان نخواهد بود . آخرین اخبار اقتصادی ایران و جهان به صورت لحظه به لحظه در سایت آتیسام دنبال کنید . برای تبلیغ بعضی موسسات ترجمه ارزان راهکار مناسبی به نظر نمی رسد.$nbsp;صندوق بین المللی پول : امسال و سال آینده مطابق با پیش بینی اقتصاددانان نخواهد بود . ایران یکی از با نفوذ ترین کشور های جهان است . اخبار ایران : به گزارش پایگاه اطلاع رسانی آتیسام اخبار ایران و جهان دیروز : سیل مناطق وسیعی از مازنداران بوقوع پیوست که خسارات جانی و مالی را در پی داشت .$nbsp;را در دامنه دات آی آر آتیسام دنبال کنید . جهت پذیرش و انتشار مقاله ددر مجلات آی اس آی باید ابتدا مقاله ترجمه شود. برای چاپ مقاله ابتدا پذیرش مقاله در مجلات isi را بایستی دنبال کنید.$nbsp;همواره مجلات نامعتبر سریع تر پذیرش مقاله انجام می دهند. پروپوزال کارشناسی و ارشد، پایان نامه مدیریت،انجام پروژه های دانشجویی تز پایانی یا انجام پایان نامه خود را به افراد با تجربه بسپارید.$nbsp;پايان نامه کارشناسي ارشد و انجام پايان نامه دکتري موسسات پژوهشی کتاب چاپ می کنند و تحویل می دهند. موسسه موجک تبدیل پایان نامه به کتاب را در تهران می تونه انجام بده.$nbsp;گروه Thesis Publication به عنوان یکی از اولین و تخصصی ترین مراکز تبدیل پایان نامه به کتاب استخراج کتاب از پایان نامه|استخراج مقاله از پایان نامه فعالیت ... تدوین کارای حمید شکربار خداییش خیلی خوبن ، من که راضیم . عروسیتون نزدیکه ؟ دوست دارید مراسمتون حرفه ای عکاسی و فیلمبرداری شه ؟ پس مفتخریم آتلیه عروس و داماد شکربار در شرق تهران در خدمت شماست .$nbsp;بچه ها جونم آتلیه حمید نمونه کاراش عالیه شما هم تایید کنید خیالم راحت میشه .

    ReplyDelete
  13. When your free time, what are you offen do? With me, can listen to music, watch Film or play games online if have SmartPhone. Visit page
    Pou Games , Dora games

    ReplyDelete
  14. I have read your article several times. It really made me feel important, I think people would not ignore it. Thanks for sharing it. descargar facebook , descargar facebook , baixar whatsapp , descargar whatsapp , baixar whatsapp plus , mobogenie , mobogenie

    ReplyDelete
  15. When your free time, what are you offen do? With me, can listen to music, watch Film or play games online if have SmartPhone. Kizi , Friv , Mario Games

    ReplyDelete
  16. New experience for each of your emotions. Thrilling, vibrations of love, adventure adventurous or want to destroy all Kizi | Kizi | Pou Games | Dora games

    ReplyDelete
  17. I enjoyed over read your blog post. Your blog have nice information, I got good ideas from this amazing blog. I am always searching like this type blog post. I hope I will see again..
    cool games| cool math games| 8 ball pool| sudoku| yoob| stickman games| unblocked games | shooting games| friv4school|
    happy wheels| fighting games

    ReplyDelete
  18. My life became devastated when my husband sent me packing, after 8 years that we have been together. I was lost and helpless after trying so many ways to make my husband take me back. One day at work, i was absent minded not knowing that my boss was calling me, so he sat and asked me what its was all about i told him and he smiled and said that it was not a problem. I never understand what he meant by it wasn't a problem getting my husband back, he said he used a spell to get his wife back when she left him for another man and now they are together till date and at first i was shocked hearing such thing from my boss. He gave me an email address of the great spell caster who helped him get his wife back, i never believed this would work but i had no choice that to get in contact with the spell caster which i did, and he requested for my information and that of my husband to enable him cast the spell and i sent him the details, but after two days, my mom called me that my husband came pleading that he wants me back, i never believed it because it was just like a dream and i had to rush down to my mothers place and to my greatest surprise, my husband was kneeling before me pleading for forgiveness that he wants me and the kid back home, then i gave Happy a call regarding sudden change of my husband and he made it clear to me that my husband will love me till the end of the world, that he will never leave my sight. Now me and my husband is back together again and has started doing pleasant things he hasn't done before, he makes me happy and do what he is suppose to do as a man without nagging. Please if you need help of any kind, kindly contact Happy for help and you can reach him via email: happylovespell2@gmail.com

    ReplyDelete

  19. What a special story. I was hurt and heart broken by my husband.! A very big problem occurred in my marriage seven months ago, between me and my husband . so terrible that he took the case to court for a divorce. he said that he never wanted to stay with me again,and that he didn't love me anymore.So he packed out of the house and made me and my children passed through severe pain. I tried all my possible means to get him back,after much begging,but all to no avail.and he confirmed it that he has made his decision,and he never wanted to see me again. So on one evening,as i was coming back from work,i met an old friend of mine who asked of my husband .So i explained every thing to him,so he told me that the only way i can get my husband back,is to visit a spell caster,because it has really worked for him too.So i never believed in spell,but i had no other choice,than to follow his advice. Then he gave me the Email address of the spell caster whom he visited. Templeofloveandprosperity@gmail.com. So the next morning,i sent a mail to the address he gave to me,and the spell caster assured me that i will get my husband back the next day. What an amazing statement!! I never believed,so he spoke with me, and told me everything that i need to do. Then the next morning, So surprisingly, my husband who didn't call me for the past 7 months, gave me a call to inform me that he was coming back. So Amazing!! So that was how he came back that same day,with lots of love and joy,and he apologized for his mistake,and for the pain he caused me and my children. Then from that day,our relationship was now stronger than how it were before,by the help of a spell caster. So, i will advice you out there if you have any problem contact Dr Frank Ojo, i give you 100% guarantee that he will help you.. Email him at: Templeofloveandprosperity@gmail.com ,or call his mobile number: +2348072370762 ,or visit his Web site to know more about him: http://africatemple.yolasite.com.

    ReplyDelete
  20. We make your birthday party joyful. A suitable decorated birthday party will surely applaud up your guests and will make them remember it everlastingly. The spirit of festivity should be there. Planning for your coming Birthday Party with lots of fun and memorable, don't worryNk birthday party organisers in delhi
    Events plan up your Birthday Parties smoothly and memorable by keeping certain things into consideration which helps birthday parties become a smashing- hit for all time! we provide with each and everything
    wedding planners in delhi

    ReplyDelete
  21. Great informative site. I'm really impressed after reading this blog post. I really appreciate the time and effort you spend to share this with us! I do hope to read more updates from you. essay writers

    ReplyDelete
  22. Fynsy FynsyGames Best Girls Games for all! Play Free Online Games: Frozen, Makeover and make up games, beautiful dress up games, baby and pet care games, decoration games and many more.

    ReplyDelete
  23. The blog or and best that is extremely useful to keep I can share the ideas
    of the future as this is really what I was looking for, I am very comfortable and pleased to come here. Thank you very much.
    earn to die 3| earn to die 6
    earn to die 5| happy wheels
    strike force heroes| slitherio
    earn to die 5| good game empire |tank trouble 2 | earn to die new

    ReplyDelete
  24. My name is amada frad Baltimore. I wish to share my testimony with the public about what this man named Dr.Kruma just made for me, just the man to bring back the joy to my house and my life in person i heard about it before and that I was hesitating when I gave him a chance regarding my lack of having my own baby and pregnancy for the man I married called Mr.frad we were together for a long time and loved our car but when I could give a child for 2 years she left me and told me that it can not continue, and then was now looking for ways to bring it back until a friend of mine told me about this man and gave his contact through email:

    (africaspellcaster@gmail.com)

    then you will not believe this when I contacted him, thanks again for the great Dr.Kruma what you have done for me, if you're out there going through any of the problems listed below:

    1) If you want your ex back.
    (2) if you ever have nightmares.
    (3) You want to be promoted in his office.
    (4) Want to women / men running behind you.
    (5) If you want a child.
    (6) Do you want to be rich.
    (7) Do you want to tie your husband / wife is
    yours forever.
    (8) If you need financial assistance.
    (9) Have you been ripped off and want to recover that lost money or property? Contact him via e-mail:africaspellcaster@gmail.com

    ReplyDelete
  25. agen taruhan bola Real Entrepreneur wants to have better chance not a lot of money, No limitation to travel the world because it is cycle poker qiu qiu

    ReplyDelete
  26. Think before you speak a word of wisdom. Ponder before you utter a word of knowledge.
    goachristmaspackages

    ReplyDelete
  27. Y9 - Play free action games, free addicting games, puzzle games, sports games, girls games and adventure games online. ..and more. Very funny games at Y9 Thank you !!!

    ReplyDelete
  28. Getting ex boyfriend back after a breakup,I’m extremely happy that will are living together again. Am Maria 21yr from England, my boyfriend of a 4yr just broke up with me and am 30 weeks pregnant.I have cried my self to sleep most of the nights and don’t seem to concentrate during lectures sometimes I stay awake almost all night thinking about him and start to cry all over again.Because of this I end up not having energy for my next day’s classes ,my attendance has dropped and am always in uni and on time.Generally he is a very nice guy ,he ended it because he said we were arguing a lot and not getting along.He is right we’ve been arguing during the pregnancy a lot .After the break up I kept ringing him and telling him I will change.I am in love with this guy and he is the best guy I have ever been with.I’m still hurt and in disbelief when he said he didn’t have any romantic feelings towards me anymore that hurt me faster than a lethal syringe.He texts me now and then mainly to check up on how am doing with the pregnancy,he is supportive with it but it’s not fair on me, him texting me as I just want to grieve the pain and not have any stress due to the pregnancy.i was really upset and i needed help, so i searched for help online and I came across a website that suggested that Dr Unity can help solve marital problems, restore broken relationships and so on. So, I felt I should give him a try. I contacted him and he told me what to do and i did it then he did a spell for me. 28 hours later, my bf came to me and apologized for the wrongs he did and promise never to do it again. Ever since then, everything has returned back to normal. I and my bf are living together happily again.. All thanks to Dr Unity. If you have any problem contact Dr.Unity now and i guarantee you that he will help you.Email him at: Unityspelltemple@gmail.com ,you can also call him or add him on whats-app: +2348071622464.

    ReplyDelete
  29. zoxy 5
    Twizl.co - Play free action games, free addicting games, puzzle games, sports games, girls games and adventure games online. ..and more. Very funny games at twizl.co.

    ReplyDelete
  30. Hi everyone!!!

    I'm so excited share this testimony here about how i got my ex husband back after a break up. I'm Clara 28 yr old from USA, Am a woman who love and cherish my husband more than any other thing you can imagine on earth continent. My husband was so lovely and caring after 3 years of marriage he was seriously ill and the doctor confirm and said he has a kidney infection that he needed a kidney donor, that was how I start searching for who can help, doctor has given me a periodic hour that he will live just 24 hours left, that was how I ask the doctor if I can be of help to my husband that was how he carried out the text, the confirming was successful, I was now having this taught that since 3 years now we got married I have not be able to get pregnant can I be able to get bring again? That was the question I ask the doctor, he never answer his response was did you want to lost your husband? I immediately reply no I can't afford to lose him. After the operation my husband came back to live and was healthy I was also OK with the instruction given to me by the doctor, after 3 months my husband came home with another lady telling me, that is our new wife that will give us kids and take care of us, that was how I was confused and started crying all day, that was how my husband ran away with his new wife cleanable. Since then I was confuse don't know what to do that was how I went back to the doctor and tell him everything, he told me that, this is not just an ordinary it must be a spiritual problem that was how he gave me this Email: Ahmedutimate@gmail.com that I should tell he all my problem that he can help that was how i contacted he and I do as instructed. After 28 hours and I have done what he ask me to do, my husband start searching for me and went back to the doctor, that was how we well settle he also told me not to worry that I will get pregnant, this month making it the fifth Month I contacted he am now 3 months pregnant. These great spell cater is a great man,
    if you have any kind of problem you can contact him here on his
    Email: Ahmedutimate@gmail.com or call him +2348160153829
    Save Your Crumbling Relationship
    http://www.thepetitionsite.com/takeaction/236/940/861/

    ReplyDelete

Note: Only a member of this blog may post a comment.