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:
“Bagehot did what so many thousand of young graduates before him had done,—he studied for the bar; and then, having prepared himself to practise law, followed another large body of young men in deciding to abandon it.”
—Woodrow Wilson (1856–1924)
“Few white citizens are acquainted with blacks other than those projected by the media and the so—called educational system, which is nothing more than a system of rewards and punishments based upon one’s ability to pledge loyalty oaths to Anglo culture. The media and the “educational system” are the prime sources of racism in the United States.”
—Ishmael Reed (b. 1938)