Drexel dragonThe Math ForumDonate to the Math Forum


Math Forum
 Ask Dr. Math
 Discussions
 Internet Newsletter
 MathTools
 Problems of the Week
 Teacher2Teacher
 Teacher Exchange
 Workshops

Search All of the Math Forum:
Browse our Internet Mathematics Library

Views expressed in these public forums are not endorsed by Drexel University or The Math Forum.


Math Forum » Discussions » sci.math.* » sci.math.independent

Topic: Is there a polynomial time algorithm for enumerating prime numbers?
Replies: 10   Last Post: Jun 6, 2012 9:53 PM

Advanced Search
Reply to this Topic Reply to this Topic

Back to Topic List Back to Topic List Jump to Tree View Jump to Tree View   Messages: [ Previous | Next ]
Peter Percival

Posts: 944
Registered: 10/25/10
Is there a polynomial time algorithm for enumerating prime numbers?
Posted: Jun 5, 2012 5:37 AM
  Click to see the message monospaced in plain text Plain Text   Click to reply to this topic Reply

Let p_n be the n-th prime number (p_1 = 2, etc). Is there a polynomial
P(n), and an algorithm to find p_n in a number of steps* S(n), where S(n)
is bounded by P(n)?

* A step being what? If I were to write a program to implement such an
algorithm, I would take "step" to mean "machine code instruction"; but
there might be a better definition not tied to any particular way of
implementing algorithms.

--
Using Opera's revolutionary email client: http://www.opera.com/mail/

Point your RSS reader here for a feed of the latest messages in this topic.

[Privacy Policy] [Terms of Use]

© Drexel University 1994-2014. All Rights Reserved.
The Math Forum is a research and educational enterprise of the Drexel University School of Education.