pair of rabbits can reproduce per year—is formed by adding the two preceding num-
bers to find the next number, starting with a pair of ones. Thus, the Fibonacci num-
bers in this sequence are 1, 1, 2, 3, 5, 8, 13, 21, 34, 55, 89, 144, 233, 377, and so on; or
1 1 2
2 1 3
3 2 5
5 3 8
8 5 13
13 8 21
21 13 34
34 21 55
55 34 89
89 55 144
144 89 233
233 144 377, and so on.What are exponents?
Exponents are actually shorthand for multiplications and represent the number of
times a number is being multiplied (called the base). For example, 9 9 92 , or 9
9 9 93.
Another term for this process is “raising to a power,” in which the exponent (a num-
ber as a superscript) is the “power.” For example, 9^3 is “nine raised to the third power.” It
is also easier to write larger numbers with exponents. For instance, instead of writing
86 xxxx,we can write x^4. (For more information about exponents, see “Algebra.”)
What is GIMPS?
G
IMPS stands for the Great Internet Mersenne Prime Search, a program
started in January 1996 to discover new world-record-sized Mersenne Prime
numbers. It harnesses the power of the Internet—and thousands of small com-
puters belonging to public and private concerns—to make the necessary calcula-
tions. GIMPS uses only about 8 MB of memory and about 10 MB of disk space
per computer—a small amount of space for such a large undertaking. A Pen-
tium-class computer is necessary, and the computer should be on most of the
time. But if you decide to join the GIMPS group, be patient—a single test can
take about a month to complete. To find out more, get on your computer, log on
to the Internet, and access the address http://www.mersenne.org/prime.htm.