Activation Descriptions

The Great Internet M ers enne Prime Search ( G IM PS ) has discovered the largest known prime number , 2 ^ 1 3 6 , 2 7 9 , 8 4 1 − 1 , having 4 1 , 0 2 4 , 3 2 0 decimal digits . Luke Durant , from San Jose , California , found the prime on October 1 2 th , 2 0 2 4 . The new prime number , also known as M 1 3 6 2 7 9 8 4 1 , is calculated by multiplying together 1 3 6 , 2 7 9 , 8 4 1 tw os , and then subtract ing 1 . It is over 1 6 million digits larger than the previous record prime number , in a special class of extremely rare prime numbers known as M ers enne primes . It is only the 5 2 nd known M ers enne prime ever discovered , each increasingly more difficult to find . M ers enne primes were named for the French monk Marin M ers enne , who studied these numbers more than 3 5 0 years ago .