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From: Archimedes Plutonium on 15 Jul 2010 04:06 Alright let see if I can start a rough draft of the proof of the Infinitude of Mersenne Primes and thus a proof of Infinitude of Perfect Numbers. I am calling it a template because I expect hundreds of proofs involving prime sets where the question is whether they are an infinite set. So I anticipate that these hundreds of conjectures will all flow through this same channel of proof where it is Indirect Euclid Infinitude of Primes format, coupled with a Mathematical Induction. I did not need Math Induction for Twin Primes nor for Polignac Conjecture, but when it came to Mersenne primes (2^p)-1, I was no longer sure that Euclid's Number fetched a Mersenne prime. Indirect Method Euclid Infinitude of Primes (1) definition of prime (2) hypothetical assumption step; suppose .. where last number in list is largest prime (3) form Euclid's Number/s (4) Euclid's Number/s are necessarily prime (5) contradiction to largest prime of list (6) set infinite Mathematical Induction procedure: (i) show true for initial cases of 1, 2, and even 3 (ii) assume true for case of N (iii) must show true for case of N+1 So let me just plaster, or shot up the rough draft of the proof that Mersenne Primes are infinite: (1) Definition of prime as a positive integer divisible only by itself and 1. (2) The prime numbers are the numbers 2,3,5,7,11, ..,pn,... of set S Reason: definition of primes (3) The Mersenne primes are of form (2^p) -1 and the first four are 3, 7, 31, 127 (4) Suppose Mersenne Primes and regular primes are finite, then 2,3,5,7, ..,p_n is the complete series set of Mersenne primes along with all the regular primes below p_n with p_n the largest Mersenne prime Reason: this is the supposition step (3.1) Set S are the only primes that exist Reason: from step (3.0) (3.2) Form W-1 = (2x3x5x, ..,xpn) - 1. Reason: can always operate and form a new number (3.3) Divide W-1 successively by each prime of 2,3,5,7,11,..pn and they all leave a remainder of 1. Reason: unique prime factorization theorem (3.4) W-1 is necessarily prime. Reason: definition of prime, step (1). (3.5) Initial cases of Mathematical Induction The first few Mersenne primes are 3,7,31, 127 So the initial case of a Math Induction works for Euclid's Number as W +1 {2,3} are all the primes that exist yields Euclid Number (2x3)+1 = 7 {2,3,5} are all the primes that exist yields Euclid Number (2x3x5)+1 = 31 (3.6) Assume true for case N of Mathematical Induction: assume true that the Euclid Number above of W-1 is of the form (2^p)-1 and this further means that the Euclid Number of W-1 above means the series multiplication of (2x3x5x, ..,xpn) has the form of a number in the set (2^p) where p is prime. (3.7) Now must show true for Math Induction of N+1. (3.8) Include W-1 above into the new extended series set of {2,3,5,7, p_n, W-1} and translate into a new Euclid Number Y-1 as this (2x3x5x, ..,xp_n x (W-1)) -1 And now I am momentarily stuck and tired. I want to transition to where I say that the 2^p portion is squared in this new number of Y of the Y-1 and a second iterated Indirect method makes Y-1 also a new prime. Finally, infinitude of Mersenne primes. Archimedes Plutonium http://www.iw.net/~a_plutonium/ whole entire Universe is just one big atom where dots of the electron-dot-cloud are galaxies |