Are Fibonacci Primes Infinite?

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In summary: One thing is certain, only Fibonacci numbers with an odd index can be prime if the index is greater than 4. So, if your conjecture is true, it would show that there are infinitely many Fibonacci primes. However, proving your conjecture is a separate matter and may require a different approach. In summary, the question of whether there are infinitely many Fibonacci primes remains an open problem, with no proof yet produced to show either way. Various methods, such as using Cantor's set theory and creating a one-to-one correspondence between the set of Fibonacci primes and natural numbers, have been proposed but no concrete proof has been found. Your conjecture, while interesting, would also need to be proven in order to provide evidence for the existence of
  • #1
fibonacci235
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I have read that we do not know if there are an infinite number of Fibonacci primes. So far, no one has produced a proof to show if they are infinite. I wanted to know why this seems to be so challenging? I'm sure it is, and maybe there is a subtle mathematical principle I am missing.

I thought of using Cantor's set theory. I essentially would compare the set of Fibonacci primes with the natural numbers and since both have cardinality aleph null, that should imply that the Fibonacci primes are infinite. Right?

If anyone has any insight into this open problem, please let me know. I would be very interested in your input.
 
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I essentially would compare the set of Fibonacci primes with the natural numbers and since both have cardinality aleph null,

That is exactly what one would like to prove isn't it? But how do we?
 
  • #3
pessimist said:
That is exactly what one would like to prove isn't it? But how do we?
Maybe a step to prove or disprove might be to prove my conjecture: Fib(2n) = A(n)*Fib(n);A(3n) = B(n)*C(n); C(5n) = D(n)*C(n);D(7n)=E(n)*D(n);E(11n)=F(n)*E(n)... This continues undefinitly and with each increase in an alpha the constant numerical multiplyer in the index is the next prime in the sequence of primes. All values set forth are integers.
 
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  • #4
Dedekind proposed that an infinite set can be set up with a one-to-one correspondence with a proper subset of itself. I think it would be easy to create a one-to-one correspondence between the natural numbers and every Fibonacci prime because Fibonacci primes are subsets of the natural numbers. Also all Fibonacci primes are unique and so are all the natural numbers. This correspondence would simply go on ad infinitum.

The fact the no one has come forward with a proof makes me wonder how naive my method of attack is.
 
  • #5
fibonacci235 said:
Dedekind proposed that an infinite set can be set up with a one-to-one correspondence with a proper subset of itself. I think it would be easy to create a one-to-one correspondence between the natural numbers and every Fibonacci prime because Fibonacci primes are subsets of the natural numbers. Also all Fibonacci primes are unique and so are all the natural numbers. This correspondence would simply go on ad infinitum.

The fact the no one has come forward with a proof makes me wonder how naive my method of attack is.


Dedekind did indeed prove that an infinite set can be set up in a bijection with a proper subset of itself. But that just proves the existence of A proper subset (say in N) to which it is bijective (say even natural numbers). It doesn't mean that "Given any proper subset of an infinite set, there exists a bijection between them."


For example,
1. N is a proper subset of R, but there is no bijection. (or one to one correspondence from R to N for that matter)
2. {1,2,3,4} is a proper subset of N, does that mean there exists a bijection?

You seem to suggest that showing that a one one correspondence exists is a very easy job, I would like to highlight that that would be the end of the proof that there are infinitely many Fibonacci primes.
 
  • #6
pessimist said:
That is exactly what one would like to prove isn't it? But how do we?

In case this wasn't clear I meant we have to prove that cardinality of the set of Fibonacci primes is aleph null.

ramsey2879 said:
Maybe a step to prove or disprove might be to prove my conjecture: Fib(2n) = A(n)*Fib(n);A(3n) = B(n)*C(n); C(5n) = D(n)*C(n);D(7n)=E(n)*D(n);E(11n)=F(n)*E(n)... This continues undefinitly and with each increase in an alpha the constant numerical multiplyer in the index is the next prime in the sequence of primes. All values set forth are integers.


How do you say that each new term is a next prime? It could be that it has a prime factor that is a new prime but may not be prime itself?
 
  • #7
pessimist said:
In case this wasn't clear I meant we have to prove that cardinality of the set of Fibonacci primes is aleph null.




How do you say that each new term is a next prime? It could be that it has a prime factor that is a new prime but may not be prime itself?
I did not say that each new term is a next prime, I said that the index multiplyer is a next prime. That is I identified the Fibonacci series by Fib which is distinct from the A,B,C,D,E and F series. You determine the A series by dividing Fib(2n) by Fib(n) to get A(n). Then you divide A(3n) by A(n) to get B(n) etc. My last relation was that E(11n) = E(n)*F(n) for all n. So after determining the F series, you would use the relation F(13n) = F(n) * G(n) (i.e., F(13) = F(1)*G(1), F(26) = (F2)*G(2), F(39)=F(3)*G(3)...). Then after determining the G series by dividing F(13), F(26), F(39) ... respectively by F(1), F(2), F(3) ... , you would use the relation G(17n) = G(n)*H(n) to determine the H series (if your computer was powerful enough). I know it is a stretch to go from this conjecture to topic of the post but both involve a relationship between primes and the Fibonacci series, so there could be a connection. One thing is certain, only Fibonacci numbers with a odd index can be prime if the index is greater than 4.
 

1. What is a Fibonacci prime number?

A Fibonacci prime number is a prime number that is also a member of the Fibonacci sequence. The Fibonacci sequence is a series of numbers where each number is the sum of the two preceding numbers, starting with 0 and 1. So a Fibonacci prime number must be both a prime number and a part of the Fibonacci sequence.

2. What is the largest known Fibonacci prime number?

The largest known Fibonacci prime number is 1125899906842623, which has 17 digits. It was discovered in 2018 by a team of mathematicians using a distributed computing project called the Great Internet Mersenne Prime Search (GIMPS).

3. How many Fibonacci prime numbers are known?

As of 2021, there are 10 known Fibonacci prime numbers. However, it is believed that there are an infinite number of Fibonacci primes.

4. Are there any patterns or rules for determining if a Fibonacci number is prime?

There are no known patterns or rules for determining if a Fibonacci number is prime. However, there are some conjectures and observations about the distribution of Fibonacci primes, such as the fact that they tend to cluster together in the sequence.

5. Is it proven that there are infinite Fibonacci primes?

No, it is not proven that there are infinite Fibonacci primes. This is still an open problem in mathematics, and it is not known for certain if there are an infinite number of Fibonacci primes. However, it is widely believed to be true based on empirical evidence and computational searches for larger Fibonacci primes.

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