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Quiz - Understanding Mersenne Primes and Number Theory

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37 views4 pages

Quiz - Understanding Mersenne Primes and Number Theory

Uploaded by

saija_09
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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Quiz: Understanding Mersenne Primes and Number Theory

Instructions: Choose the best answer for each question.

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1. What is the significance of the number 2136,279,841 – 1 in mathematics?


- A) It is a composite number.
- B) It is a prime number.
- C) It is an even number.
- D) It is a perfect number.

2. Who discovered the largest known prime number, M136279841?


- A) Euclid
- B) Marin Mersenne
- C) Luke Durant
- D) NVIDIA

3. What is a Mersenne prime?


- A) A prime number that is even.
- B) A prime number that is one less than a power of two.
- C) A prime number that is greater than 100.
- D) A prime number that can be divided by three.

4. How many digits does the number M136279841 have when written in decimal form?
- A) About 1 million
- B) About 41 million
- C) About 16 megabytes
- D) About 20,000 pages

5. What technology did Luke Durant use to discover the new prime number?
- A) Traditional CPUs
- B) Quantum computers
- C) GPUs
- D) Supercomputers

6. What is the relationship between Mersenne primes and perfect numbers?


- A) Every Mersenne prime is also a perfect number.
- B) For every Mersenne prime, there is an even perfect number.
- C) Perfect numbers are always prime.
- D) There are no relationships between them.

7. Which of the following is an example of a perfect number?


- A) 6
- B) 9
- C) 15
- D) 21

8. Why are prime numbers important in modern cryptography?


- A) They are easy to find.
- B) They help in making perfect numbers.
- C) They are difficult to factor into smaller numbers.
- D) They can be used to create graphics.

9. How many Mersenne primes have been discovered as of the article's publication?
- A) 50
- B) 52
- C) 100
- D) 200

10. What was the method of discovery for the new prime number?
- A) Random guessing
- B) Mathematical algorithms and computational power
- C) Manual calculations
- D) Using a calculator

11. What does the discovery of M136279841 represent in the field of mathematics?
- A) The end of the search for primes
- B) A milestone in human curiosity
- C) A new type of number
- D) A solution to a mathematical theorem

12. Why is it conjectured that there are infinitely many Mersenne primes?
- A) They are easy to find.
- B) They are linked to perfect numbers.
- C) There is no known limit to their occurrence.
- D) They always follow a specific pattern.

13. What is the historical significance of the number six in mathematics?


- A) It is the first prime number.
- B) It is considered a perfect number.
- C) It is the largest known Mersenne prime.
- D) It is the first composite number.

14. What is the main challenge in finding Mersenne primes according to the article?
- A) They are too common.
- B) They are too scarce for current techniques.
- C) They are always even.
- D) They are too small.

15. Which of the following statements is true about prime numbers?


- A) They can be divided by any number.
- B) They are only divisible by one and themselves.
- C) They are always odd.
- D) They can be negative.

16. How did the discovery of the new prime number impact the field of number theory?
- A) It proved that all numbers are composite.
- B) It provided new algorithms for testing prime numbers.
- C) It ended the study of prime numbers.
- D) It made perfect numbers irrelevant.

17. What is the role of the Great Internet Mersenne Prime Search (GIMPS)?
- A) To create new cryptocurrencies.
- B) To search for Mersenne primes.
- C) To teach mathematics to students.
- D) To develop new computer hardware.

18. Why do mathematicians continue to search for Mersenne primes?


- A) They are easy to find.
- B) They have no practical applications.
- C) They hold deeper mathematical secrets.
- D) They are used in everyday calculations.

19. What does the article suggest about the future of prime number discovery?
- A) It will become obsolete.
- B) It will lead to new technological advancements.
- C) It will always be limited by current technology.
- D) It will not yield any new findings.

20. What is a key takeaway from the discovery of M136279841?


- A) All prime numbers are small.
- B) The search for primes is a never-ending journey.
- C) Perfect numbers are more important than primes.
- D) Technology can replace mathematical research.

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End of Quiz
Answer Key for the Quiz: Understanding
Mersenne Primes and Number Theory
Here are the correct answers for each question in the quiz:

1. B) It is a prime number.
2. C) Luke Durant
3. B) A prime number that is one less than a power of two.
4. B) About 41 million
5. C) GPUs
6. B) For every Mersenne prime, there is an even perfect number.
7. A) 6
8. C) They are difficult to factor into smaller numbers.
9. B) 52
10. B) Mathematical algorithms and computational power
11. B) A milestone in human curiosity
12. C) There is no known limit to their occurrence.
13. B) It is considered a perfect number.
14. B) They are too scarce for current techniques.
15. B) They are only divisible by one and themselves.
16. B) It provided new algorithms for testing prime numbers.
17. B) To search for Mersenne primes.
18. C) They hold deeper mathematical secrets.
19. B) It will lead to new technological advancements.
20. B) The search for primes is a never-ending journey.

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