Ralph Ernest Powers (April 27, 1875 – January 31, 1952) was an American amateur mathematician who worked on prime numbers.
He is credited with discovering the Mersenne primes M89 and M107, in 1911 and 1914 respectively. [1] [2] In 1934 he verified that the Mersenne number M241 is composite. [3]
Powers was born in Fountain, Colorado Territory. Details of his life are little-known, [4] though he appears to have been an employee of the Denver and Rio Grande Western Railroad. [5]
Soon after Powers announced the discovery of M107, the Frenchman E. Fauquembergue claimed that he had discovered it earlier, but many of Fauquembergue's other claims were later demonstrated as erroneous; thus, many prefer recognizing Powers as the discoverer, including the well-known Internet resource the PrimePages.
After his own discoveries of Mersenne primes in 1911 and 1914, no Mersenne primes were discovered until Raphael M. Robinson used a computer to find the next two, on January 30, 1952, the night before Powers's death. [4]
The article is signed "DENVER, COLORADO, June, 1911"
Ralph Ernest Powers (April 27, 1875 – January 31, 1952) was an American amateur mathematician who worked on prime numbers.
He is credited with discovering the Mersenne primes M89 and M107, in 1911 and 1914 respectively. [1] [2] In 1934 he verified that the Mersenne number M241 is composite. [3]
Powers was born in Fountain, Colorado Territory. Details of his life are little-known, [4] though he appears to have been an employee of the Denver and Rio Grande Western Railroad. [5]
Soon after Powers announced the discovery of M107, the Frenchman E. Fauquembergue claimed that he had discovered it earlier, but many of Fauquembergue's other claims were later demonstrated as erroneous; thus, many prefer recognizing Powers as the discoverer, including the well-known Internet resource the PrimePages.
After his own discoveries of Mersenne primes in 1911 and 1914, no Mersenne primes were discovered until Raphael M. Robinson used a computer to find the next two, on January 30, 1952, the night before Powers's death. [4]
The article is signed "DENVER, COLORADO, June, 1911"