Thank you for trying The Prime Number Program. This application counts from one to infinity, finding prime numbers along the way. If you ever had any reason to know whether 31,293 is prime, now you will wonder no more.
A prime number is any number that you can not arrive at by multiplying any two other numbers. For example, 17 is a prime number because no two numbers can be multiplied together to get 17. (Well, 1 times 17 is one way to do it, but that doesn't count.)
Here's how to use The Prime Number Program:
Buttons
Begin Button
This button starts the program going. The Prime Number Program will begin counting, and every time it finds a prime number, it will be added to the list on the right side of the screen.
Pause Button
The Pause button temporarily halts the prime number search. To resume the search, press the Begin button, whose caption will have changed to "Resume."
Resume Saved Session Button
Click this button to pick up where you left off the last time you saved your progress. The Prime Number Program will automatically resume, and your Log Length, Calculation Speed, and Auto-Save settings will be restored (more about those settings later.)
Save Current Session Button
This button saves your progress. After your progress has been saved, The Prime Number Program will pick up from where it left off.
Data
The Data chart in the top left corner of your screen is constantly updated with several useful statistics, including:
•The largest prime number found so far
•Which number the program is currently analyzing
•The number of prime numbers found so far
•The number of composite (non-prime) numbers found so far
•The total number of calculations; it takes more calculations to determine if a large number is prime than to see if a small number is prime.
Settings
The Limit Log Length pop-up menu allows you to select the maximum length of the Log, which is a report on the progress of The Prime Number Program. The advantage of having a long log is that it offers more data. On the other hand, a short log is easier to read.
The Calculation Speed slider determines the overall speed of The Prime Number Program. If you drag the slider to the right, the program will slow down, allowing your computer to handle background tasks, such as playing music.
The Save Automatically checkbox makes the program save its progress ever minute. In the event of a system crash, you will be able to pick up right where you left off. The amount of time between automatic saves can be adjusted with the pop-up menu directly to the right of the Save Automatically checkbox.
The Prime Number Program Web Site
For more, visit http://w3.nai.net/~jessimko/PrimeNumberProgram/
I hope you enjoy finding huge prime numbers. It's not easy, but somebody has to do it.
