Well this is exciting

lukerichards · 2019-05-16, 16:43

My employer has been invited to apply for a <=£20,000 grant to run a project engaging young people with maths and technology.

Somebody *might* be putting together a proposal to look for a prime number with some students!

Uncwilly · 2019-05-16, 16:57

xilman · 2019-05-16, 19:07

Quote:

Originally Posted by lukerichards

My employer has been invited to apply for a <=£20,000 grant to run a project engaging young people with maths and technology.

Somebody *might* be putting together a proposal to look for a prime number with some students!

Good luck!

Batalov · 2019-05-16, 21:31

Good luck!

However - the best strategy while writing the proposal might be to focus on how this will engage young people, not solely on looking for a prime number.

Quote:

Originally Posted by http://www.ibras.dk/montypython/episode10.htm

Counsellor: Yes, yes, yes, I do follow, Mr Anchovy, but you see the snag is... if I now call Mr Chipperfield and say to him, 'look here, I've got a thirty-two-year-old chartered accountant with me who wants to become a lion tamer', his first question is not going to be 'does he have his own hat?' He's going to ask what sort of experience you've had with lions.

lukerichards · 2019-05-17, 12:30

Quote:

Originally Posted by Batalov

Good luck!

However - the best strategy while writing the proposal might be to focus on how this will engage young people, not solely on looking for a prime number.

Thanks - I've already drafted an application for senior management to look at before it goes off to the awarding body. I've had a look with your feedback in mind and I think it could be a bit more student-focussed, so if management are happy with it in principle, I might suggest a few tweaks to make clear how we intend to engage students with it.

lukerichards · 2019-05-17, 12:34

If approved and we get a grant, I intend to engage the group of students in selection of a sequence or sequences to sieve and ultimately search within.

My own little project of $b^{k*2^n}-2$ will undoubtedly be a suggestion, but I'll make clear to them that this will yield PRPs with a slim-to-null chance of proving.

It would be nice to have some formulas to sieve / test which lend themselves to neat proofs. Any suggestions - preferably avenues which have not been largely explored yet - would be greatly appreciated.

Batalov · 2019-05-17, 22:39

An important part of any prime search project is to simultaneously learn and (among other things) be able to estimate the probability of success.
What you suggest now is a "buy lottery tickets" in disguise.

Proposal:
The group of students will attempt to solve a recreational mathematics problem, with appropriate elements of theory taught in a short course with a brief curiculum:

Fundamental theorem of arithmetic
Introduction to probabilities, expected values
Introduction to cloud computing

Goals:
By the end of the course and recreational mathematics project, the participants will acquire skills in and will be able to:
1. Identify the probability of a certain targeted search sequence (up to a finite limit) to produce a prime (optional: estimate ME for the number of hits); compare various search sequence in terms of return: hits/$.
2. Learn skills for cloud computing: start an AWS instance, install software, simple economics of spot AWS instances, launch recipes. Optional: cronjobs, restarting, etc
3. Work as a team
4. <<add>>

These skills will be transferable to real life. The prime(s) will be a bonus, but even if they will not find a prime - they will have benefited.
Furthermore if you skip goal number 1, this will be an exercise in numerology.

xilman · 2019-05-18, 06:22

Quote:

Originally Posted by Batalov

An important part of any prime search project is to simultaneously learn and (among other things) be able to estimate the probability of success.
What you suggest now is a "buy lottery tickets" in disguise.

Proposal:
The group of students will attempt to solve a recreational mathematics problem, with appropriate elements of theory taught in a short course with a brief curiculum:

Fundamental theorem of arithmetic
Introduction to probabilities, expected values
Introduction to cloud computing

Goals:
By the end of the course and recreational mathematics project, the participants will acquire skills in and will be able to:
1. Identify the probability of a certain targeted search sequence (up to a finite limit) to produce a prime (optional: estimate ME for the number of hits); compare various search sequence in terms of return: hits/$.
2. Learn skills for cloud computing: start an AWS instance, install software, simple economics of spot AWS instances, launch recipes. Optional: cronjobs, restarting, etc
3. Work as a team
4. <<add>>

This skills will be transferable to real life. The prime(s) will be a bonus, but even if they will not find a prime - they will have benefited.
Furthermore if you skip goal number 1, this will be an exercise in numerology.

+1

kriesel · 2019-05-18, 16:57

Quote:

Originally Posted by lukerichards

If approved and we get a grant, I intend to engage the group of students in selection of a sequence or sequences to sieve and ultimately search within.

My own little project of $b^{k*2^n}-2$ will undoubtedly be a suggestion, but I'll make clear to them that this will yield PRPs with a slim-to-null chance of proving.

It would be nice to have some formulas to sieve / test which lend themselves to neat proofs. Any suggestions - preferably avenues which have not been largely explored yet - would be greatly appreciated.

Will there be coverage of error detection and correction approaches?

https://www.mersenneforum.org/showthread.php?t=24136
https://www.mersenneforum.org/showpo...30&postcount=7

2019-05-16, 16:43	#1
lukerichards "Luke Richards" Jan 2018 Birmingham, UK 2⁵·3² Posts	Well this is exciting My employer has been invited to apply for a <=£20,000 grant to run a project engaging young people with maths and technology. Somebody might be putting together a proposal to look for a prime number with some students!

2019-05-17, 22:39	#7
Batalov "Serge" Mar 2008 San Diego, Calif. 281D₁₆ Posts	An important part of any prime search project is to simultaneously learn and (among other things) be able to estimate the probability of success. What you suggest now is a "buy lottery tickets" in disguise. Proposal: The group of students will attempt to solve a recreational mathematics problem, with appropriate elements of theory taught in a short course with a brief curiculum: Fundamental theorem of arithmetic Introduction to probabilities, expected values Introduction to cloud computing Goals: By the end of the course and recreational mathematics project, the participants will acquire skills in and will be able to: 1. Identify the probability of a certain targeted search sequence (up to a finite limit) to produce a prime (optional: estimate ME for the number of hits); compare various search sequence in terms of return: hits/$. 2. Learn skills for cloud computing: start an AWS instance, install software, simple economics of spot AWS instances, launch recipes. Optional: cronjobs, restarting, etc 3. Work as a team 4. <<add>> These skills will be transferable to real life. The prime(s) will be a bonus, but even if they will not find a prime - they will have benefited. Furthermore if you skip goal number 1, this will be an exercise in numerology.

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lukerichards "Luke Richards" Jan 2018 Birmingham, UK 440₈ Posts	If approved and we get a grant, I intend to engage the group of students in selection of a sequence or sequences to sieve and ultimately search within. My own little project of $b^{k*2^n}-2$ will undoubtedly be a suggestion, but I'll make clear to them that this will yield PRPs with a slim-to-null chance of proving. It would be nice to have some formulas to sieve / test which lend themselves to neat proofs. Any suggestions - preferably avenues which have not been largely explored yet - would be greatly appreciated.