What are prime numbers?

Prime numbers are a set of unusual numbers that cannot be divided with any other number except 1 and the number itself. Hence, numbers like 2, 3, 5, and 7 are considered as prime numbers because you can only divide them either by using 1 or by the same number.

All the prime numbers are greater than 1. Although there is a debate that number 1 is also a prime number but mathematicians have argued that 1 cannot be a prime number because it has only one divisor. Hence, the perfect definition of a prime number is that it should have two divisors, the number itself and the number 1.

The use of prime numbers is more in mathematical subjects like algebra and therefore, one should be aware of what prime numbers are. Today, there are also used in various information technology industries where prime numbers are being used to create codes and passwords that would save the top confidential information for the people.

Although, there are infinite numbers of prime numbers but so far the largest prime number found is 12,978,189, which was found by Great Internet Mersenne Prime Search. There are various mathematical departments on the internet that come up with different contests where people can calculate and come up with the highest prime number.

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