2006-08-15 02:14:45 · 4 answers · asked by Anonymous in Education & Reference ➔ Higher Education (University +)
You use it every day when you're browsing the web. One of the most famous uses of prime numbers is for securing information passed over networks.
For example, if the receiver and the sender agreed on a prime number that has four hundred digits next to it - the only way to find the number would literally be to start at the bottom of the four hundred digits and mark each one off as you go... that would be radically impossible, since the message would be gone long before you would be able to break the code.
Almost all cryptology and compression of information uses prime numbers at one point or another. Hmm... besides that, autistic kids have sometimes learned to communicate by adding meaning to prime numbers.
and uh... yeah... I can't think of nothing, I've never used them haha.
2006-08-15 02:24:45 · answer #1 · answered by Solrium 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
They're used for encryption. The process is a bit complicated but if you're interested you can check out the book "The Code Book" by Simon Singh. Also, if you've seen "contact" or read the book, you'll see that contact with alien intelligence is done by primes. The reason is that there is no known natural phenomena that can put out a sequence of primes, therefore if you get a pulse from space sequencing prime numbers, it's a safe bet that it's aliens trying to communicate.
2006-08-15 02:24:15 · answer #2 · answered by Epicarus 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Higher prime numbers are useful in data encryption methods.RSAS has made a business out of it.
2006-08-15 02:21:41 · answer #3 · answered by B C 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
A very important use in cryptography
2006-08-15 02:23:33 · answer #4 · answered by Steiner 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋