Make your computer a Mathematician

[GuidoHunter]

Okay, here's what I understand:

A Sierpinski number is a k value which will yield a prime number if it is multiplied by a number 2^n and has one added to it (i.e. k2^n+1. Parenthesis used appropriately; remember order of operations.). There were seventeen candidates under 78557, and Seventeen or Bust has narrowed those down to eleven by finding an n value for six of the k values. If there can be found an n value for each of the remaining eleven, the Sierpinski conjecture will be proven. Until then, the search will go on, hence the name "Seventeen or Bust".

As Squeek said, they send you one k value (of the eleven remaining) and one n value. You devote many many hours of computations for that one value. If it's not prime, you get another n value. If it is prime, you will be quite recognized by the community of people who really care. I'm currently working on k=10223 and n=6531461. So, if (10223 x 2^6531461)+1 is prime, the number of candidates will be reduced to ten, getting ever closer to proving the conjecture.

Hey, Squeek, how did you set whatever it was to "high"? All I can see to change is the priority from Normal to Low to Idle.

--Guido

http://andy.mikee385.com