What is the history of prime numbers?

What is the history of prime numbers?

Prime numbers have fascinated mathematicians for centuries. They are numbers greater than 1 that have no divisors other than 1 and themselves. The study of prime numbers dates back to ancient civilizations, including the Greeks, who first documented their properties.

Who was the first to study prime numbers?

The ancient Greek mathematician Euclid is often credited as the first to study prime numbers systematically. In his work "Elements," he proved that there are infinitely many prime numbers.

What are some famous theorems related to prime numbers?

Some famous theorems include the Fundamental Theorem of Arithmetic, which states that every integer greater than 1 can be uniquely factored into prime numbers, and the Prime Number Theorem, which describes the asymptotic distribution of prime numbers.

How have prime numbers been used in modern technology?

In modern technology, prime numbers are crucial in cryptography, particularly in algorithms like RSA, which secures online communications by using the difficulty of factoring large prime numbers.