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   Author  Topic: Prime triplet  (Read 436 times)
NickH
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Prime triplet  
« on: Apr 15th, 2003, 2:25pm »
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Show that, if 0 < p and p2 + 2 are primes, then p3 + 2 is also prime.
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SWF
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Re: Prime triplet  
« Reply #1 on: Apr 16th, 2003, 7:33pm »
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This seems like sort of a trick question.  My solution (hidden):
The only p with p2+2 also prime is p=3, and for that p3+2=29, prime, so the statement is true.
 
For all other primes, p, p2+2 is a multiple of 3. Obvious, for p=2, and the rest of the primes are either a multiple of 6 plus 1 or a multiple of 6 plus 5. Plug 6*n+1 or 6*n+5 into p2+2, and you will see it is a multiple of 3.

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NickH
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Re: Prime triplet  
« Reply #2 on: Apr 16th, 2003, 8:21pm »
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Spot on!  So, in fact, p4 + 2 is also prime!
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LZJ
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Re: Prime triplet  
« Reply #3 on: Apr 17th, 2003, 1:50am »
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As for proof as to why 3 is the only value of p possible, p2 (mod 3) = 1 for all odd positive integers that are not multiples of 3, so all other odd primes can be ruled out.
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