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PNT, interesting! If I'm reading it correctly you can estimate the number of N digit primes as 10^N/N. That's basically 10^N, and for N=9 (a billion), that mean
by javajosh 7y ago
PNT, interesting! If I'm reading it correctly you can estimate the number of N digit primes as 10^N/N. That's basically 10^N, and for N=9 (a billion), that means there's (very very roughly) a billion primes with a billion digits.
I mean, it's not that many if your expecting a message from God (I say half-jokingly).
- skissane 7y agoSuppose somewhere out there, there is an ISO of Bible software, and it just so happens that when expressed as an integer it turns out to be prime – proof that the Bible is God's word, or freak coincidence? I think most people would go with the second option. And, the same would be just as true if it was an ISO of some other religious scripture, such as the Quran or the Vedas.
- javajosh 7y agoWell it would be an impressive feat, regardless. But of course there are a lot of degrees-of-freedom if you were to attempt this. Tiny formatting and encoding decisions would all greatly influence the resulting integer. Because it's so sensitive to chosen input, I would say even if you managed to produce a prime, it's not very satisfying as a sort of Godly checksum and signature. Much more interesting is to discover a new communication, a message encoded in a very large number that is distinguished by being prime. (What message would you send? It would be interesting if it ultimately described some sort of recursive, reactive automata, the source code for a kind of learning, communicating intelligence. A gift, then. An awesome, terrible gift.)