[QUOTE=Prime95;327959]True, but it is too hifalutin for the laypeople the press is aiming at.[/QUOTE]

I understand it and I was told on here I had the math ability of a ten year old at last check.

[QUOTE=science_man_88;328096]I understand it and I was told on here I had the math ability of a ten year old at last check.[/QUOTE]

Keep in mind that most of the news reports felt that they had to explain what a prime number was....

[QUOTE=Flatlander;328041]Especially by Davieddy on a Saturday night.[/QUOTE]Cheers!
To convey the size of 2[SUP]64[/SUP] - 1 and its meaning, I remind folk of the tale of 1 grain of rice on the first square of a chessboard, 2 on the second, 4 on the third,,, etc.

D

[QUOTE=chalsall;328098]Keep in mind that most of the news reports felt that they had to explain what a prime number was....[/QUOTE]

First thing I taught my kids was what a prime number is and how to use the washing machine.

Are people familiar with repeated doubling? A double-six in a game or a double at the bar but where would repeated doubling come up?

[QUOTE=Flatlander;328119]Are people familiar with repeated doubling?[/QUOTE]

Very good point.

Here in the Caribbean if you say "double" to someone most will assume you're referring to a (very tasty) [URL="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Doubles_(food)"]fast street food[/URL] originating from T&T.

And don't even get me started about what happens when you ask for a "couple" of something... ("How many do you want? One, two or three?")

Dutch rapper Ali B has just explained it this way on TV:
[QUOTE]Prime numbers are the numbers that don't appear in the multiplication table of [B]any[/B] other number.[/QUOTE]

[QUOTE=Nick;328133]Dutch rapper Ali B has just explained it this way on TV:[/QUOTE]
... and professor Lenstra, who was sitting at the same table, approved, giving this definition of prime numbers for non Math(s) specialists a "nine and a half" out of ten.

They didn't talk about "doubling" or use any other special language when they were presenting the new Mersenne Prime to the lay audience, though. In fact they merely talked about raising 2 to the power 57885161, and the TV cameras did not seem to pick up any puzzlement on the studio audience faces. Ali B seemed to understand that too. So Ernst's advice may well be sound.
[QUOTE=ewmayer;327955]I suggest that "raising to a power" is not too hifalutin for the "laypeople" GIMPS is aiming at ...[/QUOTE]

[QUOTE=Brian-E;328141]... and professor Lenstra, who was sitting at the same table, approved, giving this definition of prime numbers for non Math(s) specialists a "nine and a half" out of ten.[/QUOTE]It's good to hear that Hendrik is well again. He was rather ill, I believe, when I last expected to meet him. Several other Mersenne forumites were also at that occasion --- the workshop in honour of Herman te Riele's retirement.

[QUOTE=chalsall;328124]
Here in the Caribbean if you say "double" to someone most will assume you're referring to a (very tasty) [URL="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Doubles_(food)"]fast street food[/URL] originating from T&T.[/QUOTE]
Now that's something I could sink my teeth into. Yum.

[QUOTE=xilman;328147]It's good to hear that Hendrik is well again. He was rather ill, I believe, when I last expected to meet him. Several other Mersenne forumites were also at that occasion --- the workshop in honour of Herman te Riele's retirement.[/QUOTE]
Yes, he is his old self again, and was rushing in and out of our seminar this afternoon to take calls from the TV studio :smile:

On the exponent report, it now reports prime. But is there a report to see who did the TF/P-1 tests prior to the LL? I'm curious as my PCs did a lot of TF around that number.

[url]http://www.mersenne.org/report_exponent/?exp_lo=57885161&exp_hi=57885161&B1=Get+status[/url]

-- Craig