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Mersenne numbers are of the form 2^p -1.
If I minus 1 and divide by 2 it will take p goes to get to zero.
Example:
2^11 -1
2^10 -1 First go
2^9 -1 Second go
2^8 -1 Third go
2^7 -1 Fourth go
2^6 -1 Fifth go
2^5 -1 Sixth go
2^4 -1 Seventh go
2^3 -1 Eighth go
2^2 -1 Ninth go
2-1 Tenth go
1-1=0 Eleventh go
Similarly if 2^p -1 has a factor of the form, n, it should take p goes to get to zero. Only, if minus 1 divided by 2 results in an even number, I should be allowed to add n to the number to continue. As this is what happens to n, as a remainder for 2^p -1, as each go takes place.
Examples:
23
(23-1)/2 = 11 First go
(11-1)/2 = 5 Second go
(5-1)/2 = 2 Third go
23+2 = 25, (25-1)/2 = 12 Fourth go
23+12 = 35, (35-1)/2 = 17 Fifth go
(17-1)/2 = 8 Sixth go
23+8 = 31, (31-1)/2 = 15 Seventh go
(15-1)/2 = 7 Eighth go
(7-1)/2 = 3 Ninth go
(3-1)/2 = 1 Tenth go
(1-1)/2 = 0 Eleventh go
89
(89-1)/2 = 44 First go
89+44 = 133, (133-1/2) = 66 Second go
89+66 = 155, (155-1)/2 = 77 Third go
(77-1)/2 = 38 Fourth go
89+38 = 127, (127-1)/2 = 63 Fifth go
(63-1)/2 = 31 Sixth go
(31-1)/2 = 15 Seventh go
(15-1)/2 = 7 Eighth go
(7-1)/2 = 3 Ninth go
(3-1)/2 = 1 Tenth go
(1-1)/2 = 0 Eleventh go
Both 23 and 89 take eleven goes to get to zero, as they must do, as they are factors of 2^11 -1, and 2^11 -1 takes eleven goes to get to zero also.
"Time not important. Only life important." - The Fifth Element 1997
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