Mersenne numberA number of the form 2n - 1 (one less than a power of 2), where n is a positive integer. Mersenne numbers are named after Marin Mersenne who wrote about them in his Cogita Physica-Mathematica (1644) and wrongly conjectured that they were prime for n = 2, 3, 5, 7, 13, 17, 19, 31, 67, and 257, and composite for n > 257. Related entry Mersenne primeRelated category TYPES OF NUMBERSAlso on this site: Encyclopedia of Alternative Energy & Sustainable Living Encyclopedia of History |