Mathematician Sir Michael Atiyah dies aged 89

One of the world's foremost mathematicians, Prof Sir Michael Atiyah, has died at the age of 89.

Sir Michael, who worked at Cambridge University before he retired, made outstanding contributions to geometry and topology.

Sir Michael was a recipient of the highest honour in mathematics, a Fields Medal. He died on Friday.

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51st Known Mersenne Prime Found!

The Great Internet Mersenne Prime Search (GIMPS) has discovered the largest known prime number, 2^82,589,933-1, having 24,862,048 digits. A computer volunteered by Patrick Laroche from Ocala, Florida made the find on December 7, 2018. The new prime number, also known as M82589933, is calculated by multiplying together 82,589,933 twos and then subtracting one. It is more than one and a half million digits larger than the previous record prime number.

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