Relay-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site utzoo.UUCP Posting-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site umcp-cs.UUCP Path: utzoo!watmath!clyde!floyd!harpo!seismo!rlgvax!cvl!umcp-cs!timw From: timw@umcp-cs.UUCP Newsgroups: net.math Subject: Merten's Conjecture Message-ID: <5302@umcp-cs.UUCP> Date: Sun, 19-Feb-84 22:35:31 EST Article-I.D.: umcp-cs.5302 Posted: Sun Feb 19 22:35:31 1984 Date-Received: Mon, 20-Feb-84 08:48:03 EST Organization: Univ. of Maryland, Computer Science Dept. Lines: 31 In response to Gene's question: According to the Washington Post, my local source of knowledge, Mertens Conjecture is that a special summation function (I don't know what) derived from the prime factors in a number is always less than the square root of that number. It says that Mertens was able to prove this with pencil & paper for the first 10,000 integers. In 1913 another mathematician proved it up to 5,000,000 and a computer proved it to 10,000,000,000 in 1963. Now these two guys are saying that they disproved it at some outrageously large number with many,many zeros. But I have a question also. They say that they disproved the theorem but they probably will not know the number because of the size of it. If this is true, then how do they that the theorem doesn't work?? The Post also quotes " Both people belong to a computer network that allowed them to echange their latest work over transalantic telephone line......" Hmmmmmm -- Speaking: Tim Wicinski University of Maryland UUCP: {seismo,allegra,brl-bmd}!umcp-cs!timw CSNet: timw@umcp-cs ARPA: timw.umcp-cs@CSNet-Relay