Faculty First Year Seminars 191MATH1 - Prime Numbers

Prime numbers (integers with no proper factors) have long been a subject of fascination, but in the modern world they have also become instrumental in crucial applications such as cryptography. We will discuss various aspects of the theory and application of prime numbers, including: counting prime numbers; prime numbers with special properties (e.g., Mersenne and Fermat primes, or primes one more than a square); finding large prime numbers; applications to cryptography; the spectre of quantum computing. Emphasis will be placed on experimental approaches to these problems using appropriate software. No particular mathematical experience is required.

First-year (R1ST)