A Wilson prime, named after English mathematician John Wilson, is a prime number p such that p2 divides (p − 1)! + 1, where "!" denotes the factorial function; compare this with Wilson's theorem, which states that every prime p divides (p − 1)! + 1.
The only known Wilson primes are 5, 13, and 563 (sequence A007540 in OEIS); if any others exist, they must be greater than 2×1013. It has been conjectured that infinitely many Wilson primes exist, and that the number of Wilson primes in an interval is about log(log(y)/log(x)).
Several computer searches have been done in the hope of finding new Wilson primes. The Ibercivis distributed computing project includes a search for Wilson primes. Another search is coordinated at the mersenneforum.
Read more about Wilson Prime: Near-Wilson Primes
Famous quotes containing the words wilson and/or prime:
“It was a very lonely spirit that looked out from under those shaggy brows and comprehended men without fully communicating with them, as if, in spite of all its genial efforts at comradeship, it dwelt apart, saw its visions of duty where no man looked on.... This strange child of the cabin kept company with invisible things, was born into no intimacy but that its own silently assembling and deploying thoughts.”
—Woodrow Wilson (18561924)
“The Prime Minister has an absolute genius for putting flamboyant labels on empty luggage.”
—Aneurin Bevan (18971960)