twin primes

plural noun

: a pair of prime numbers (such as 3 and 5 or 11 and 13) differing by two

Examples of twin primes in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web But for more complicated sieves, such as the ones for twin primes, the crucial information often concerns the remainders that primes leave behind when divided by different numbers. Erica Klarreich, Quanta Magazine, 26 Oct. 2023 Admittedly, 70 million is a lot bigger than 2, so the twin primes conjecture remains unsolved. Julie Rehmeyer, Discover Magazine, 7 Jan. 2014 Mathematicians have wanted to learn about the behavior of pairs of primes, in particular pairs separated by one number, such as the twin primes in the examples above. Amir Aczel, Discover Magazine, 10 July 2013 When two primes have a difference of 2, they’re called twin primes. Dave Linkletter, Popular Mechanics, 22 July 2022 For example, two of the biggest open problems in the field of number theory are the twin primes conjecture and the Goldbach conjecture. Quanta Magazine, 1 June 2020 The twin primes and Goldbach conjectures are both questions about prime numbers. Quanta Magazine, 1 June 2020 But progress on the twin primes conjecture has stalled. Wired, 29 Sep. 2019

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'twin primes.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

1930, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of twin primes was in 1930

Dictionary Entries Near twin primes

Cite this Entry

“Twin primes.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/twin%20primes. Accessed 3 May. 2024.

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