Chapter 8
Working with Numbers in Their Prime
IN THIS CHAPTER
Preparing for perplexing prime numbers
Bringing big numbers down to size: Divisibility rules!
Investigating composite numbers with prime factorizations
Finding and using factoring methods
Prime numbers (whole numbers evenly divisible only by themselves and 1) have been the subject of discussions between mathematicians and nonmathematicians for centuries. Prime numbers and their mysteries have intrigued philosophers, engineers, and astronomers. These folks and others have discovered plenty of information about prime numbers, but many unproven conjectures remain. So why are prime numbers important? Why study them? Prime numbers play an important role in coding (encrypting passwords and protecting information). And who knows what else we’ll be able to do with them in the future!
Probably the biggest mystery is determining what prime number will be discovered next. Computers have aided the search for a comprehensive list of prime numbers, but because numbers go on forever without end, and because no one has yet found a pattern ...
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