Microsoft is calling on businesses, schools and individuals to help identify lost prime numbers.
The challenge is designed to give schools, businesses and universities the chance to access the computing power of Microsoft’s data centers.
The largest prime number discovered is 17 million decimal digits long. Steve Plank, cloud computing and STEM evangelist at Microsoft said: “In order to map large prime numbers of hundreds of digits powerful technology, which can quickly sift through and crunch numbers, is required.”
The campaign is accompanied by a ‘deep zoom’ graphic by Shoothill, illustrating the largest prime number discovered (see picture above).
Those wishing to show their mathematical prowess and try to find a ‘lost prime’ Should go to: primechallenge.org and follow the instructions online.
