Mersenne primes are named after Marin Mersenne! π
These special numbers appear when we take a
prime number "p" and use the formula 2^p - 1. For example, if p is 3, we calculate 2^3 - 1, which equals 7, a prime number! Mersenne discovered several of these primes, and they are still studied today. They help mathematicians explore the exciting world of large numbers and even contribute to computer encryption! π
Even today, people search for bigger and bigger Mersenne primes, making it a fun math adventure! π