GIMPS Financial History

[Prime95]

For some reason the forum lost this post. Here it is again:

In 2008, GIMPS claimed the $100,000 EFF award for finding the first 10,000,000 digit prime number. This was distributed according to the rules in place prior to the discovery:

• $50K to UCLA for M#46,
• $20K for 6 prior discoveries (M#39 - M#44)
• $5K for GIMPS incorporation and future expenses,
• $25K was to go to a math charity, which turned out to be GIMPS Inc. to pay for future discovery awards.

At this time ISP costs were $0/month but we needed a new server (~$6000, never purchased). We expected to find about 6 primes (@ $3000 each) before the 100M digit prime.

In 2014 our ISP let us know it could no longer provide free hosting services. We chose Incero as our new ISP which saddled us with a $150/month colocation fee. The good news is that Aaron Blosser obtained a superb (free!) server for us saving GIMPS many thousands of dollars.

Since 2008, six new primes have been found (M#45, M#47 - M#51) triggering $18,000 in discovery awards.

While GIMPS does have a donate button on the web site, we've not made a serious attempt at fundraising.

[ixfd64]

Silly question: does one still qualify for the $3,000 prize if they didn't use Prime95 to discover a new Mersenne prime?

[Uncwilly]

Originally Posted by Mersenne.org/legal/

Mersenne Prime Award of USD $3,000.00

Awarded to a GIMPS Participant for each new Mersenne prime discovered after August 23, 2008 and having fewer than 100,000,000 (decimal) digits. Rules in addition to the General Award Rules:
The award is presently $3,000, consisting of $100 cash and $2900 to be awarded at a future date (either sufficient funds on hand to cover operating expenses and awards as determined by the board of directors OR upon claiming the $150,000 EFF award for the first discovery of a 100 million digit prime number). GIMPS may, at its sole discretion and without notice, change the award amount or retroactively increase certain previously-awarded Research Discovery Awards up to the a maximum amount of $5000.

So, if you are a participant that generally means that you use Prime95 or get assignments from PrimeNet. Either one binds you to the rules and opens you up for the reward.

[LaurV]

Well... if my M666666667 turns out to be prime (~20 days to go), then we can delete this thread...

[PhilF]

Originally Posted by LaurV

Well... if my M666666667 turns out to be prime (~20 days to go), then we can delete this thread...

Hey, you poached me! That's OK, my M666666667 will be done in ~19 days!

[Madpoo]

Originally Posted by PhilF

Hey, you poached me! That's OK, my M666666667 will be done in ~19 days!

I was tempted to do some extra P-1 factoring on it in hopes of finding a factor and spoiling the fun, but I really couldn't do any meaningful extra effort on that before he turns his result in.

[PhilF]

Would have been wasted work anyway. My M666666667 is much more likely to be prime than his is.

[LaurV]

Haha, Phil, you got me hard here, I had to read that sentence 5 times and I counted the 6 three times... That was because I skimmed the first time and got it wrong, missed the "my", and comprehended it like "the y=xxx has more chances to be prime than z=xx" (which would have been a joke in itself, like you were saying that I also have to test M6,666,666,666 too) but after repeatedly counting the 6, I didn't get a different number, and I was totally confused for few minutes... (well, my excuse is that I am not a native speaker, but doh...)

:hatoff:


edit: huh? no emoticons for hat off?