Welcome to the Giving Thanks Challenge

PrimeGrid's Challenge series continues with the Giving Thanks Challenge. Please come join us in a celebration of PrimeGrid’s users. A 24 hour Challenge is being offered on PrimeGrid's Prime Sierpinski Project/Seventeen or Bust (Sieve) application.

In this season of giving thanks, we wish to thank you, the user, for another AMAZING year of crunching. Without you, PrimeGrid would not exist. Please see the next post for some of the accomplishments this year.

To participate in the Challenge, please select only the Prime Sierpinski Project (Sieve) project in your PrimeGrid preferences section. The challenge will begin 13 November 2009 18:00 UTC and end 14 November 2009 18:00 UTC. Application builds are available for MacIntel, Linux 32 & 64 bit and Windows 32 & 64 bit. Note: 64 bit builds benefit from a 1.7X speed advantage over 32 bit...so 1.7X the credit. :)

Recommendation: The PSP (Sieve) application requires a one time download of a 10MB sieve file. Please consider running a few PSP WU's before the Challenge begins so your client will already have the sieve file. This way, bandwidth can be used to deliver WU's instead of the sieve file. :) Thank you!

Time zone converter:

The World Clock - Time Zone Converter

NOTE: The countdown clock on the front page uses the host computer time. Therefore, if your computer time is off, so will the countdown clock. For precise timing, use the UTC Time in the data section to the left of the countdown clock.

Scoring Information

Scores will be kept for individuals and teams. Only work units issued AFTER 13 November 2009 18:00 UTC and received BEFORE 14 November 2009 18:00 UTC will be considered for credit. Since this is a fixed credit project, we'll be using cobblestones for scoring.

About the Sierpinski Problem

Waclaw Franciszek Sierpinski (14 March 1882 - 21 October 1969), a Polish mathematician, was known for outstanding contributions to set theory, number theory, theory of functions and topology. It is in number theory where we find the Sierpinski problem.

Basically, the Sierpinski problem is "What is the smallest Sierpinski number" and the prime Sierpinski problem is "What is the smallest 'prime' Sierpinski number?"

First we look at Proth numbers (named after the French mathematician François Proth). A Proth number is a number of the form k*2^n+1 where k is odd, n is a positive integer, and 2^n>k.

A Sierpinski number is an odd k such that the Proth number k*2^n+1 is not prime for all n. For example, 3 is not a Sierpinski number because n=2 produces a prime number (3*2^2+1=13). In 1962, John Selfridge proved that 78,557 is a Sierpinski number...meaning he showed that for all n, 78557*2^n+1 was not prime.

Most number theorists believe that 78,557 is the smallest Sierpinski number, but it hasn't yet been proven. In order to prove it, it has to be shown that every single k less than 78,557 is not a Sierpinski number, and to do that, some n must be found that makes k*2^n+1 prime.

The smallest proven 'prime' Sierpinski number is 271,129. In order to prove it, it has to be shown that every single 'prime' k less than 271,129 is not a Sierpinski number, and to do that, some n must be found that makes k*2^n+1 prime.

Seventeen or Bust is working on the Sierpinski problem and the Prime Sierpinski Project is working on the 'prime' Sierpinski problem. The following k's remain for each project:

• Prime Sierpinski Project
  
• Seventeen or Bust
  

For more information about Sierpinski, Sierpinski number, and the Sierpinsk problem, please see these resources:

• Waclaw Franciszek Sierpinski (WIKI)
  
• Sierpinski number / The Sierpinski problem (WIKI)
  
• The Sierpinski problem (Prothsearch)
  

32 bit OS with 64 bit CPU
This is for those who are "driving with the hand brake active" (running a 32 bit OS on a 64 bit machine) ;) Wubi is a very nice tool that installs Ubuntu as a dual boot to your 64 bit machine. It's as simple as adding a program to Windows. You can even uninstall it like you would any other program. :)

Wubi - Ubuntu Installer

After getting 64 bit OS running on your machine, here's a link to ALL BOINC clients (including Linux x64): http://boinc.berkeley.edu/download_all.php If you are new to Linux and need help getting set up, let us know.

It really is simple. :)

Ubuntu has a power save feature that throttles the CPU frequency down to save power. It does not treat BOINC as an active program so will throttle down thus causing under-performance. For those downloading the latest Ubuntu 8.10, please follow these directions to make sure the frequency is not throttled down while BOINC is running:

1. In Ubuntu, right click the top menu bar
2. Select add to panel
3. Select "CPU Frequency Scaling Monitor"
4. Click add

This will add a processor icon to the top menu. Click on the icon and set to "Performance". This also allows you to see the CPU frequency.
____________

This is a “fluid” description based on bits and pieces I gathered in the forum. Please PM me with your suggestions, omissions, corrections, etc. for 2009.

Jan through Mar - Several users & developers (geoff, Menipe, Honza, Jarek, sesef, BerndBrot, Augustine, rogue) collaborate to significantly improve the AP26 application.

13 Feb 2009 - PrimeGrid partners with 12121 Search to search for primes of the form 121*2^n-1 and 27*2^n-1. PrimeGrid added the +1 form and will search all four forms.

12 May 2009 - Factorial Prime Search launched.

17 May 2009 - PrimeGrid user mfl0p creates PrimeGrid's first PS3/Cell Blade Application for AP26.

24 Jun 2009 - PrimeGrid user roadrunner_gs ports AP26 application to OpenSolaris.

July 2009 - Prime Sierpinski Problem/Seventeen or Bust sieve passes 50P in sieving depth!!!

04 Jul 2009 - PrimeGrid user mfl0p begins a series of optimizations to the AP26 application for Intel 64bit Linux.

18 July 2009 - PrimeGrid user Lexs creates a script for twitter to announce AP26 updates. PrimeGrid Twitter

03 Aug 2009 - Badges added to PrimeGrid.

13 Aug 2009 - PrimeGrid user Bok, from Free-DC, creates new signatures for PrimeGrid.

16 Aug 2009 - Sophie Germain Prime Search launched.

27 Aug 2009 - PrimeGrid regains the top project ranking by number of primes in the Top 5000 list at The Prime Pages. PrimeGrid held the top spot from 2007 through mid way 2008 before all the n=333333 primes started to fall off this list.

Sep 2009 - Proth Prime Search passes 1P in sieving depth. A most incredible accomplishment for 4<k<1200; n<5M.

04 Sep 2009 - Bok creates Facebook application for all BOINC projects.

16 Sep 2009 - PrimeGrid joins Seventeen or Bust in their search for a solution to the Sierpinski problem. PrimeGrid had already been sieving a combined PSP/SoB sieve file. NOTE: Still awaiting updated LLR.

10 Oct 2009 - PrimeGrid user mfl0p begins a series of optimizations to the AP26 application for Intel 32bit & 64bit Windows.

20 Oct 2009 - PrimeGrid user Ken_g6 introduces PPSieve to the PPSE sieve which advances the processing rate 6 times faster. A phenomenal improvement.

05 Nov 2009 - Generalized Fermat Prime Search launched.

08 Nov 2009 - PrimeGrid user roadrunner_gs breathes life and hope into the possibility of a GPU application at PrimeGrid. Development and testing continues.

09 Nov 2009 - PrimeGrid users pschoefer and vmc port gcwsieve to native BOINC for Windows 64bit.

2009 "Significant" Primes

• 06 March - Senji Yamashita of Japan finds a Fermat Number divisor
  519*2^567235+1 Divides F(567233)
  
• 31 March - Eric Embling of the United States finds a Fermat Number divisor
  659*2^617815+1 Divides F(617813)
  
• 03 April - Andy Brady of the United States finds a 321 Mega Prime
  3*2^5082306+1
  
• 20 April - Dennis R. Gesker of the United States finds a Cullen Mega Prime
  6328548*2^6328548+1
  
• 25 July - Anonymous of Japan finds a Cullen Mega Prime
  6679881*2^6679881+1
  
• 25 July - SunGard Availability Services of the United States finds World Record Twin Primes
  65516468355·2^333333±1
  

Milestones

• Users with credit
  
  January 2009 - 20,000 users
  July 2009 - 25,000 users

  
  

• BOINC Credit
  
  March 2009 - 750,000,000 cobblestones
  May 2009 - 1,000,000,000 cobblestones
  July 2009 - 1,250,000,000 cobblestones
  October 2009 - 1,500,000,000 cobblestones
  

____________

How to Join the Challenge

To participate in the Challenge, please select only the Prime Sierpinski Project (Sieve) project in your PrimeGrid preferences section. The challenge will begin 13 November 2009 18:00 UTC and end 14 November 2009 18:00 UTC. Only work units issued AFTER 13 November 2009 18:00 UTC and received BEFORE 14 November 2009 18:00 UTC will be considered for credit.

Application builds are available for MacIntel, Linux 32 & 64 bit and Windows 32 & 64 bit. Note: 64 bit builds benefit from a 1.7X speed advantage over 32 bit...so 1.7X the credit. :)

Recommendation: The PSP (Sieve) application requires a one time download of a 10MB sieve file. Please consider running a few PSP WU's before the Challenge begins so your client will already have the sieve file. This way, bandwidth can be used to deliver WU's instead of the sieve file. :) Thank you!
____________

I will also join the challenge. :)






Lennart

We will, we will rock the server
;-)

only less than 3 hours to go ...
crunchers, are you ready ???
I am!!

Have a nice challenge
____________
Sysadm@Nbg
my current lucky number: 3749*2^1555697+1
PSA-PRPNet-Stats-URL: http://u-g-f.de/PRPNet/

I'm defintiely in with two new i7's! :)


...but Lennart will still kick my butt... :P



____________
141941*2^4299438-1 is prime!

Nice clean start - all my clients got work without delay!

____________

Nice clean start

30 minutes on the way and no Challenge stats ??

Is it time to start yet?

I'm excited, this is the first challenge I actually have the chance to compute in. Granted my ancient Mac Mini in my drawer cannot compute for PrimeGrid because it cannot finish the WUs before the deadlines, not to mention that there is no PSP application for PowerPC Macs. But oh well, my MBP is happily chugging along.

nice challenge :thumbup:
waiting for final standings ...

/me has done 344 WorkUnits according to the last stats (10167.48 / 29.5566...)

Congratulation to all participants!
____________
Sysadm@Nbg
my current lucky number: 3749*2^1555697+1
PSA-PRPNet-Stats-URL: http://u-g-f.de/PRPNet/

nice challenge :thumbup:
waiting for final standings ...

/me has done 344 WorkUnits according to the last stats (10167.48 / 29.5566...)

Congratulation to all participants!

The results are Final!

Another Challenge in the bag!!! And in true fashion, the users of PrimeGrid accomplished an incredible amount of work. Almost 575T was crunched in the 24 hours of the Challenge. Over 191K tasks were returned resulting in over 5.6M cobblestones awarded. PrimeGrid's overall (Challenge + regular work) daily record was set with over 9.5M cobblestones for a 24 hour period. Congratulations to everyone...this is a great milestone. Maybe during the next Challenge, we'll see the daily 10M cobblestone barrier broken. ;)

At this sieve depth (~60P), over 300 factors were found. As you can see, the factor density has dropped since the Ides of March Challenge. 155 teams and 1113 individuals participated in the Challenge.

The Challenge Points stats will be updated soon. Congratulations to SETI.Germany as the top team and [XTBA>XTC] FRED as the top individual. Remember, the top 30 places earn points for this Challenge.

Thank you again to everyone. We appreciate your participation and hope you had fun! We wish y'all a wonderful Thanksgiving season and look forward to seeing you at the next Challenge - The Winter Solstice Challenge - 18-21 December - 3 days on the AP26 application! This is PrimeGrid's most versatile project allowing for the most devices to participate. AND maybe if we're lucky, roadrunner_gs will have the GPU app running before then. :) Development and testing continues if you wish to help.

Stats: Participants | Teams

Can the WU expiry time for PSP Sieve be put back to normal now the challenge is over please?

____________

Can the WU expiry time for PSP Sieve be put back to normal now the challenge is over please?

The Challenge Points standings have been updated. It's probably no surprise to those who have been following the stats, but I'd like to point out the following in the team standings:

Why haven't the users from place 25 to 30 got their points in the overall stats?
____________
DeleteNull

Hey! don't push me!

Why haven't the users from place 25 to 30 got their points in the overall stats?

Hey! don't push me!