Welcome to PrimeGrid
PrimeGrid is a distributed computing project which utilizes BOINC and PRPNet to search for primes. The primary goal is to bring the excitement of prime finding to the "everyday" computer user. Simply download the software and let your computer do the rest. Participants can choose from a variety of prime forms to search. With a little patience, you may find a large or even record breaking prime and enter into Chris Caldwell's The Largest Known Primes Database as a Titan!
PrimeGrid's secondary goal is to provide relevant educational materials about primes. Additionally, we wish to contribute to the field of mathematics.
Lastly, primes play a central role in the cryptographic systems which are used for computer security. Through the study of prime numbers it can be shown how much processing is required to crack an encryption code and thus to determine whether current security schemes are sufficiently secure.
The Search for Primes
In the search for prime numbers, there are two main areas of participation: sieving and primality testing. Sieving quickly narrows down the search field and what remains is tested for primality.
- Sieving - Sieving is the first step to prime finding. In general, a sieve separates wanted/desired elements from unwanted material using a tool such as a mesh, net or other filtration or distillation methods. The word "sift" derives from this term. In PrimeGrid's case, the desired elements ultimately are prime numbers and the unwanted material are composite numbers. Sieve applications used at PrimeGrid.
- Primality Testing - A primality test is conducted on all the candidates remaining from the sieve. PrimeGrid uses several primality programs. The Lucas-Lehmer-Riesel (LLR) test is one such program developed by Jean Penne that tests numbers of the form N = k*2^n-1, with 2^n > k. It includes the Proth test to perform +1 tests and PRP to test non base 2 numbers. Primality applications used at PrimeGrid
How to Participate
Users can participate in PrimeGrid in one of two ways, through BOINC or through the Project Staging Area (PSA). Before participating, please read PrimeGrid's rules and policies.
BOINC
The Berkeley Open Infrastructure for Network Computing (BOINC) is a non intrusive application used for distributed computing. It is available for various operating systems, including Linux, Mac OS X, and Microsoft Windows.
- Download, install and run the BOINC software used by PrimeGrid.
- When prompted, enter the URL: http://www.primegrid.com/
- If you are not using a graphics enabled BOINC client, you may use the manual registration form.
- PrimeGrid is only one of many Projects that may be run under BOINC. If you run just one Project, PrimeGrid, or many Projects, you may want to try an account manager such as GridRepublic or BAM!.
- This concludes instructions for initiating PrimeGrid through the BOINC application. To manage your Project preferences, including the PrimeGrid Project, use the BOINC application or your selected account manager.
- To select and manage PrimeGrids many Subprojects, access the PrimeGrid preferences page through your PrimeGrid Account. Go to the PrimeGrid home page to login and access your Account.
Project Staging Area (PSA)
The PSA was originally created to research, test, and prepare future projects for PrimeGrid BOINC. It has since been expanded to offer more varied prime searches that normally will not make it to BOINC. There are two avenues to participate in the PSA - PRPNet and Sieving.
- PRPNet - PRPNet, developed by Mark Rodenkirch, is very similar to BOINC but is used specifically for prime finding. There is no GUI. Instead, it runs in a dos window or Linux terminal. It's very simple to run...just download and unzip the file for your OS, edit a few lines in the prpclient.ini file, and run. You'll be crunching in less than 5 minutes. :) Instructions for installing and running PRPNet.
- Manual Sieving - A good sieve leads to a better prime search. While we attempt to do most of the prep work internally, some efforts are so large that we need the assistance of the community. There are several projects being coordinated in the PST forum. For more information, see (not ready yet).
Manual cobblestones are available to be awarded towards the PSA badge.
PrimeGrid Preferences
PrimeGrid Preferences can be managed from the PrimeGrid home page, by first logging onto your PrimeGrid Account...........
PrimeGrid Subprojects
PrimeGrid Subprojects maybe a nice chart: projects listed down the side; 32 bit, 64 bit, CUDA, OpenCL across the top; sub groups MacIntel, Linux, Windows
- Sieving
- Cullen/Woodall (Sieve)
Proth Prime Search (Sieve)
The Riesel Problem (Sieve)
- Cullen/Woodall (Sieve)
| Project | Windows | Linux | MacOS | Android | CPU | CUDA | OpenCL (ATI/AMD) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Proth Prime Search sieve | Yes | Yes | Yes | No | 32 and 64 bit | Yes | Yes |
| The Riesel Problem sieve | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | 32 and 64 bit | No | No |
- LLR
- 321 Prime Search (LLR)
Cullen Prime Search (LLR)
Prime Sierpinski Problem (LLR)
Proth Prime Search (LLR)
Seventeen or Bust (LLR)
Sophie Germain Prime Search (LLR)
The Riesel Problem (LLR)
Woodall Prime Search (LLR)
Generalized Fermat Prime Search (PRP)
| Project | Windows | Linux | MacOS | CPU | CUDA | OpenCL (Nvidia) | OpenCL (ATI/AMD) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 321 | Yes | Yes | Yes | 32 and 64bit | No | No | No |
| Cullen | Yes | Yes | Yes | 32 and 64bit | No | No | No |
| Prime Sierpinski Problem | Yes | Yes | Yes | 32 and 64bit | No | No | No |
| Proth Prime | Yes | Yes | Yes | 32 and 64bit | No | No | No |
| Seventeen or Bust | Yes | Yes | Yes | 32 and 64bit | No | No | No |
| Sophie Germain | Yes | Yes | Yes | 32 and 64bit | No | No | No |
| The Riesel Problem | Yes | Yes | Yes | 32 and 64bit | No | No | No |
| Woodall | Yes | Yes | Yes | 32 and 64bit | No | No | No |
| Generalized Fermat (Short) | Yes | Yes | Yes | 64 bit | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Generalized Fermat (World Record) | Yes | Yes | Yes | No | Yes | Yes | Yes |
- PSA (PRPnet Client)
| Project | Windows | Linux | MacOS | CPU | CUDA | OpenCL |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 27 Prime Search | Yes | Yes | Yes | 32 and 64bit | No | No |
| 121 Prime Search | Yes | Yes | Yes | 32 and 64bit | No | No |
| extended Sierpinski Problem | Yes | Yes | Yes | 32 and 64bit | No | No |
| MEGA Prime Search | Yes | Yes | Yes | 32 and 64bit | No | No |
| Wieferich Prime Search | Yes | Yes | No | 32 and 64bit | Yes | Yes |
| Wall-Sun-Sun Prime Searach | Yes | Yes | No | 32 and 64bit | Yes | Yes |
- PSA (Manual Sieving)
| Project | Windows | Linux | MacOS | CPU | CUDA | OpenCL |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Factorial Prime Search | Yes | Yes | N/A | 32 and 64bit | No |
No |
| Primorial Prime Search | Yes | Yes | N/A | 32 and 64bit | No | No |
| SR5 Project | Yes | Yes | N/A | 32 and 64bit | No | No |
| GFN Prime Search | Yes | No | No | 32 and 64bit | Yes | Yes |
| Extended Serpinski Problem | Yes | Yes | N/A | 32 and 64bit | No | No |
| PPR/RSP Search | Yes | Yes | N/A | 32 and 64bit | Yes | Yes |
| Cullen/Woodall Sieve | Yes | Yes | N/A | 32 and 64bit | No | No |
Credit & Cobblestones
Badges
PrimeGrid awards badges to users in recognition of achieving certain defined levels of credit for work done. The badges are of no intrinsic value but are valued by many as a sign of achievement. The issuing of badges should also benefit PrimeGrid by evening out the participation in the less popular sub projects. The easiest of the badges can often be obtained in less than a day by a single computer, whereas the most challenging badges will require far more time and computing power.
The current badge levels are:
- "Colours": Bronze/Silver/Gold/Amethyst/Ruby/Turquoise/Jade/Sapphire/Emerald
- For LLR projects: 10k / 100k / 500k / 1M / 2M / 5M / 10M / 20M / 50M;
- For Sieve/AP/GFN/PSA projects: 20k / 200k / 1M / 2M / 4M / 10M / 20M / 40M / 100M.
Higher credit is required for the sieving projects due to the use of 64 bit Operating Systems and (as of May 2010) Graphic Processing Units giving a higher credit per hour of computer time than most BOINC tasks. (GFN, the PSA, and the now-retired AP26 project require the same amount of credit as the sieves for each badge.) The first badge, "bronze", requires 10 thousand credits for primality test projects and 20 thousand credits for sieves. The last badge, "double emerald", requires 50 billion credits for primality tests and 100 billion credits for sieves.
Mega-achievements are recognised by double badges:
- "Double Colours": Bronze/Silver/Gold/Amethyst/Ruby/Turquoise/Jade/Sapphire/Emerald
- For LLR projects: 100M / 200M / 500M / 1B / 2B / 5B / 10B / 20B / 50B;
- For Sieve/AP/GFN/PSA projects: 200M / 400M / 1B / 2B / 4B / 10B / 20B / 40B / 100B.
Some users have achieved a "Full Set" of all available subprojects. PrimeGrid users are encouraged to announce this achievement at
http://www.primegrid.com/forum_thread.php?id=1482 .
At the time of writing the available badges are :-
Sieving :-
- Proth Prime Search Sieve,
The Riesel Problem Sieve,
LLR :-
- Proth Prime Search LLR,
321 LLR,
The Riesel Problem LLR,
Cullen Prime Search LLR,
Woodall Prime Search LLR,
Prime Sierpinski Problem LLR,
Seventeen or Bust LLR,
Sophie Germain Prime Search LLR, - Genefer.
Other :-
- PSA (not counted by some as it is not a BOINC project).
Past projects for which some PrimeGrid users have badges are :-
- 321 Sieve,
- Arithmetic Progression of 26 primes,
- Prime Sierpinski Problem/Seventeen or Bust Sieve,
Twin Prime search.