Mathematicians Unlock Prime Number Secrets

  • Context: High School 
  • Thread starter Thread starter Chagur
  • Start date Start date
  • Tags Tags
    Prime
Click For Summary

Discussion Overview

The discussion revolves around a recent article reporting a breakthrough in the understanding of prime numbers by mathematicians. Participants express varying opinions on the quality and clarity of the article, as well as the significance of the findings in the context of prime number research.

Discussion Character

  • Debate/contested
  • Meta-discussion

Main Points Raised

  • Some participants criticize the article for failing to adequately explain the mathematicians' findings and their importance.
  • Others acknowledge that while the article may not be perfect, it is still a positive step for media coverage of mathematical advancements.
  • One participant mentions specific research related to small gaps between consecutive primes, referencing work by D. Goldston and C. Yildirim.
  • There is a humorous remark about the complexity of the article, suggesting it should have been simplified for better public understanding.

Areas of Agreement / Disagreement

Participants generally express disagreement regarding the quality of the article, with some finding it lacking in clarity while others appreciate its existence despite its flaws. No consensus on the article's effectiveness is reached.

Contextual Notes

Participants note that the article is from a mainstream news source rather than a mathematical journal, which may affect its depth and accuracy.

Chagur
Messages
33
Reaction score
0
"A pair of mathematicians has made a breakthrough in
understanding so-called prime numbers, numbers that
can only be divided by themselves and one."

"Other mathematicians have described the advance as
the most important in the field in decades."

For the full BBC article: http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/sci/tech/2911945.stm
 
Mathematics news on Phys.org
Not a very good article, it does a terrible job at explaining what they actually found and why it's important.
 
Admittedly, but prior to finding the article I wasn't
aware that anything had been accomplished re. prime
numbers. After all, it is a BBC article ... Not an
article in a mathematical journal.
 
Originally posted by climbhi
Not a very good article, it does a terrible job at explaining what they actually found and why it's important.

Take a look at the right of the article under "internet links". It diverts you to more esoteric sites.
 
Well I guess that I shouldn't criticize to much, at least they did do an article on it, that's better then most news organizations would do so... maybe they are all right after all.
 
So, like knock yourself out with:

Small gaps between consecutive primes
Recent work of D. Goldston and C. Yildirim


at: http://aimath.org/goldston_tech/
 
Last edited by a moderator:
Geez, they did a terrible job in that article, it was way to complex for anyone to understand, they should have dumbed it down a little more. Just kidding. Thanks for the article, that one did a much better job at describing what they did.
 

Similar threads

  • · Replies 19 ·
Replies
19
Views
3K
  • · Replies 23 ·
Replies
23
Views
4K
  • · Replies 3 ·
Replies
3
Views
3K
  • · Replies 7 ·
Replies
7
Views
3K
  • · Replies 6 ·
Replies
6
Views
3K
  • · Replies 5 ·
Replies
5
Views
3K
  • · Replies 5 ·
Replies
5
Views
3K
  • · Replies 228 ·
8
Replies
228
Views
38K
  • · Replies 21 ·
Replies
21
Views
4K
  • · Replies 7 ·
Replies
7
Views
5K