A Case Study on Determining the Sequence of Prime Numbers in Fulfillment of Millennium Prize Problems from Clay Mathematics Institute

Abstract

Purpose: I have been serving as a civil servant in the Ministry of Environment and Natural Resources, department of Kenya Forestry Research Institute (KEFRI). Over the years, I developed a flare for research as a result of liaising at work for many years with various research programs that have been complementarily successful. After leaving KEFRI, I became instigated to come up with an idea that could bring a solution to one of the unsolved millennium prize problems hence, the research on the sequence of prime numbers. The seven millennium problems were selected by the Clay Mathematics Institute in the year 2000 to record as the most difficult problems, sequence of prime numbers being among them. This study is meant to bridge the gap that has been there for a long time which would be a pertinent thing to alleviate distress that has prevailed for quite some time to mathematicians.

Methodology: Using a structured interview, about two hundred people from diverse back ground were selected with a view to gauging them on their understanding towards prime numbers and their sequence. Those who were targeted in the survey were a group of elites both retired and in-service officers like teachers, accountants as well as students both for high school as well as those in higher learning institutions. The survey was conducted in a span of six months, from September 2023 to February 2024. Even though most of the people were not willing to disclose their names since the issue of prime numbers seems to be a bit difficulty and confusing to them, this did not hinder me from conducting on the survey I substituted their names with numbers, numbering them from number 1 to 200 respectively.

Findings: Majority of the people have an impression that since the sequence of prime numbers does not have a wholesome related movement like even and odd numbers, this made them think that prime numbers have no sequence. Such assumptions need not be embraced at all since, the sequence of prime numbers is determined by the intervals that are between numbers no matter how big or small the gaps are.

Unique Contribution to Theory, Practice and Policy:  Since mathematicians proclaim that prime numbers in certain sense are the building blocks of the natural numbers and help in solving problems, this study would act as a reinforcement to back up what mathematical researchers could be having at hand. This study is meant to bridge the gap that was noted by the Clay Mathematic Institute. Any idea that may come across needs to be embraced and if possible, documented or incorporated in school syllabus and review done from time to time once a new idea crops up.