Millennium Problem | Riemann Hypothesis, Prime Numbers & Zeta Function (2024)

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Millennium Problem, any of seven mathematical problems designated such by the Clay Mathematics Institute (CMI) of Cambridge, Mass., U.S., each of which has a million-dollar reward for its solution. CMI was founded in 1998 by American businessman Landon T. Clay “to increase and disseminate mathematical knowledge.” The seven problems, which were announced in 2000, are the Riemann hypothesis, P versus NP problem, Birch and Swinnerton-Dyer conjecture, Hodge conjecture, Navier-Stokes equation, Yang-Mills theory, and Poincaré conjecture.

During 2002 and 2003 Russian mathematician Grigori Perelman published three papers over the Internet that gave a “sketchy” proof of the Poincaré conjecture. His basic proof was expanded by several mathematicians and universally accepted as valid by 2006. That year Perelman was awarded a Fields Medal, which he refused. Because Perelman published his papers over the Internet rather than in a peer-reviewed journal, as required by the CMI rules, he was not offered CMI’s award, though representatives for the organization indicated that they might relax their requirements in his case. Complicating any such decision was uncertainty over whether Perelman would accept the money; he publicly stated that he would not decide until the award was offered to him. In 2010 CMI offered Perelman the reward for proving the Poincaré conjecture, and Perelman refused the money.

Millennium Problem | Riemann Hypothesis, Prime Numbers & Zeta Function (1)

Britannica Quiz

Numbers and Mathematics

William L. Hosch

Millennium Problem | Riemann Hypothesis, Prime Numbers & Zeta Function (2024)

FAQs

Millennium Problem | Riemann Hypothesis, Prime Numbers & Zeta Function? ›

In mathematics, the Riemann hypothesis is the conjecture that the Riemann zeta function has its zeros only at the negative even integers and complex numbers with real part

real part
A complex number can be visually represented as a pair of numbers (a, b) forming a vector on a diagram called an Argand diagram, representing the complex plane. Re is the real axis, Im is the imaginary axis, and i is the "imaginary unit", that satisfies i2 = −1.
https://en.wikipedia.org › wiki › Complex_number
12. Many consider it to be the most important unsolved problem in pure mathematics.

What is the relationship between the zeta function and the prime numbers? ›

The expression states that the sum of the zeta function is equal to the product of the reciprocal of one minus the reciprocal of primes to the power s. This astonishing connection laid the foundation for modern prime number theory, which from this point on used the zeta function ζ(s) as a way of studying primes.

What is the Riemann hypothesis of the zeta function? ›

The Riemann hypothesis, considered one of the greatest unsolved problems in mathematics, asserts that all non-trivial zeros are on the critical line. In 1989, Conrey proved that more than 40% of the non-trivial zeros of the Riemann zeta function are on the critical line.

How does the Riemann hypothesis relate to prime numbers? ›

The Riemann hypothesis, formulated by Bernhard Riemann in an 1859 paper, is in some sense a strengthening of the prime number theorem. Whereas the prime number theorem gives an estimate of the number of primes below n for any n, the Riemann hypothesis bounds the error in that estimate: At worst, it grows like √n log n.

What are the 7 unsolved mathematics? ›

Contents
  • 1 The Riemann Hypothesis. 1.1 Clay description.
  • 2 The Yang-Mills Equations.
  • 3 The P vs. NP Problem. 3.1 Clay description.
  • 4 The Navier–Stokes equations. 4.1 Clay description.
  • 5 The Hodge Conjecture.
  • 6 The Poincaré Conjecture. 6.1 Clay description.
  • 7 Birch and Swinnerton-Dyer conjecture.

What is the simplest explanation of the zeta function? ›

The simplest explanation is that the Riemann zeta function is an analytic function version of the fundamental theorem of arithmetic. That theorem says: Every positive integer is a unique product of finite many prime numbers. That is, n=pk11pk22…

Why are the zeros of the zeta function important? ›

Individual zeros determine correlations between the positions of the primes. The Riemann zeta function encodes information about the prime numbers —the atoms of arithmetic and critical to modern cryptography on which e-commerce is built.

What is the hardest math problem in the world? ›

The Riemann Hypothesis holds one of the seven unsolved problems known as the Millennium Prize Problems, each carrying a million-dollar prize for a correct solution. Its inclusion in this prestigious list further emphasizes its status as an unparalleled mathematical challenge.

Which millenium problem was solved? ›

To date, the only Millennium Prize problem to have been solved is the Poincaré conjecture. The Clay Institute awarded the monetary prize to Russian mathematician Grigori Perelman in 2010.

What is the most famous unsolved problem in math is the Riemann hypothesis? ›

In mathematics, the Riemann hypothesis is the conjecture that the Riemann zeta function has its zeros only at the negative even integers and complex numbers with real part 12. Many consider it to be the most important unsolved problem in pure mathematics.

Do mathematicians believe the Riemann hypothesis? ›

Most mathematicians believe that the Riemann hypothesis is indeed true. Calculations so far have not yielded any misbehaving zeros that do not lie in the critical line.

Why are mathematicians obsessed with prime numbers? ›

Prime numbers are the most fundamental objects in mathematics, and wrangling them involves a paradoxical blend of simplicity and complexity that has become a lifelong obsession for James Maynard, one that has consumed him to the point where he sometimes strips everyday life of all distractions.

Are the Millennium problems real? ›

The Millennium Prize Problems are seven of the most well-known and important unsolved problems in mathematics.

What would happen if the Riemann Hypothesis was solved? ›

So if the Riemann hypothesis is proven correct in that all of the solutions to the Riemann zeta function do have the form ½ + bi, we will gain insight into the locations of the prime numbers and how much they deviate from the functions that the Prime Number Theorem presents.

What is a zeta zero? ›

For positive k, ZetaZero[k] represents the zero of on the critical line that has the k. smallest positive imaginary part. For negative k, ZetaZero[k] represents zeros with progressively larger negative imaginary parts.

What is the relationship between prime numbers? ›

Properties of Prime Numbers

Every even positive integer greater than 2 can be expressed as the sum of two primes. Except 2, all other prime numbers are odd. In other words, we can say that 2 is the only even prime number. Two prime numbers are always coprime to each other.

What is the relationship between factorial and prime? ›

A factorial prime is a prime number that is one less or one more than a factorial (all factorials greater than 1 are even).

What is the relationship between prime numbers and cryptography? ›

Prime numbers are fundamental to the field of cryptography due to their unique mathematical properties, which provide a foundation for creating secure cryptographic algorithms.

What does the zeta function converge to? ›

The function converges for all s > 1. Its relation to prime numbers stems from an identity, which Euler discovered, that expresses the zeta function as the repeated product of a term evaluated only for primes.

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