Postal Meter Strip Announcing a Mersenne Prime

National Museum of American History

Object Details

Description
Computing devices have long influenced the development of number theory, including the discovery of prime numbers. This postal meter strip is an example of the imprint used by the Mathematics Department at the University of Illinois to announce the discovery there of a new Mersenne prime. This particular postal meter strip example was never used in the mail.
Location
Currently not on view
Credit Line
Gift of Prof. Paul T. Bateman
1975
ID Number
1999.3080.02
nonaccession number
1999.3080
catalog number
1999.3080.02
Object Name
Postal Meter Strip
Physical Description
paper (overall material)
Measurements
overall: .1 cm x 10.6 cm x 3.4 cm; 1/32 in x 4 3/16 in x 1 11/32 in
place made
United States: Illinois, Urbana
See more items in
Medicine and Science: Mathematics
Computers & Business Machines
National Museum of American History
Subject
Mathematics
Record ID
nmah_694714
Metadata Usage (text)
CC0
GUID (Link to Original Record)
https://n2t.net/ark:/65665/ng49ca746a5-1c29-704b-e053-15f76fa0b4fa
Postal Meter Strip Announcing a Mersenne Prime
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