Missouri mathematician discovers largest known prime number — and it is 22 million digits long

Prime numbers are only divisible by themselves and one.

(Image credit: Twitter/@thisisFoxx)

last updated 20 January 2016

Dr. Curtis Cooper of the University of Central Missouri has discovered the largest known prime number, at 22 million digits long. It is an entire 5 million digits longer than the previous largest prime.

Prime numbers are numbers that are only divisible by themselves and one, such as two, three, five, and seven. Their discovery is particularly important in the world of computer encryption, where they are used to secure online banking, shopping, and private messaging, BBC reports. However, current encryption is typically hundreds of digits long, not millions; Cooper's discovery is currently too large to be of use.

Subscribe to The Week

Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

SUBSCRIBE & SAVE

https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/flexiimages/jacafc5zvs1692883516.jpg

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters

From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.

Explore More

Jeva Lange was the executive editor at TheWeek.com. She formerly served as The Week's deputy editor and culture critic. She is also a contributor to Screen Slate, and her writing has appeared in The New York Daily News, The Awl, Vice, and Gothamist, among other publications. Jeva lives in New York City. Follow her on Twitter.

Subscribe to The Week

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters

Sign up for Today's Best Articles in your inbox