The Little Book of Big Primes (Paperback)

~ (Author) "The answer is given by the fundamental theorem: There exist infinitely many prime numbers..." (more)
Key Phrases: primitive prime factor, titanic primes, nontrivial zeroes, Sophie Germain, Monte Carlo, Vallée Poussin (more...)

Editorial Reviews

Review

From the reviews of the second edition:

P. Ribenboim

The Little Book of Big Primes

"Everyone has at one time or another taken an interest, however fleeting, in prime numbers . . . Ribenboim, however, is clearly a ‘prime nut,’ and this excellent, good-humored book is written for other (actually or potentially) incurable aficionados . . . it is a masterly presentation . . . This genially reader-friendly tour de force, by a scientist whit an encyclopedic and up-to-the-minute knowledge of the subject, is a wholly admirable addition to anyone’s bookshelf."—AMERICAN SCIENTIST

"The book presents a wealth of material and references on fundamental theorems, challenging open problems, and the most recent computational records in a language without secrets." (Zentralblatt für Didaktik und Mathematik, November, 2004)

"This book is the substantially expanded and updated second edition of the 1991 ‘Little book of big primes’. … The author’s thorough knowledge of and passion for primes comes through clearly. Most of the book is accessible even to interested amateurs or undergraduate students … . At the same time, a specialist can also find it useful to have so many results, open problems and references collected together." (Gábor Megyesi, Acta Scientiarum Mathematicarum, Vol. 72, 2006)

Product Description

The immensely popular Guiness Book of World Records lacked a chapter on prime numbers. The also popular Book of Prime Number Records, however, fills this need. This abridged version, written by the same author, is devoted to presenting records concerning prime numbers, but it also explores the interface between computations and the theory of prime numbers. The book contains up-to-date historical presentation of the main problems pertaining to prime numbers, as well as many fascinating topics, including primality testing. It is written in a light and humorous language without secrets and is thoroughly accessible to everyone.

Product Details

• Paperback: 368 pages
• Publisher: Springer; 1 edition (August 7, 1991)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 038797508X
• ISBN-13: 978-0387975085
• Product Dimensions: 9.2 x 6.1 x 0.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 12.5 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #2,466,158 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

3 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars This is an obsolete edition., June 9, 2000

By	John Lord (US) - See all my reviews

Hasn't this book been replaced by the 2nd edition, 1998, same publisher?