The longest series of this kind known at present consists of forty prime numbers. It begins with 41, 43, 47, 53 … and ends with … 1373, 1447,1523,1601, a truly extraordinary sequence.

Through this collaborative program, anyone can download freely available software from the GIMPS website to search for Mersenne prime numbers on their personal computers. The website contains ...

Prime numbers, when expressed as ... GIMPS has now identified 18 Mersenne primes, primarily on personal computers using Intel chips. The program averages a new discovery about every one to two years.