Cracking a record number.In a worldwide effort, a team of researchers using about 100,000 hours of computing time has factored a 167-digit number. The result establishes that the number ([3.sup.349]-1)/2 is the product of two primes--an 80-digit number multiplied by an 87-digit number--setting a record for the largest number yet factored. Coordinated by computer scientist Samuel S Samuel, two books of the Bible, originally a single work, called First and Second Samuel in modern Bibles, and First and Second Kingdoms in the Septuagint. They are considered part of "Deuteronomistic history," in which the book of Deuteronomy functions as the . Wagstaff Jr. of Purdue University Purdue University (pərdy  `, -d`), main campus at West Lafayette, Ind. in West Lafayette West Lafayette, city (1990 pop. 25,907), Tippecanoe co., W Ind., a suburb of Lafayette, on the Wabash River; inc. 1924. A primarily residential city, it is the seat of Purdue Univ. , Ind., the team used a factoring method known as the number field sieve. Volunteers contributed "spare time" on a large number of workstations to complete different parts of the factorization fac·tor·ize tr.v. fac·tor·ized, fac·tor·iz·ing, fac·tor·iz·es Mathematics To factor. fac . |
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