Section 5.3.2, Due on November 22, 2011

1. What was the most difficult part of the reading for you?
Um... I think this will be easy enough. The proof of Theorem 5.3.3.2 (Lucas-Lehmer Test) was the most difficult part of the reading for me. That thing was SO LONG!!!! (... to me...) I'm sure it makes sense to someone somewhere... but for me it just looks like a confusing mess.

2. What was the most interesting part of the reading for you?
I guess, as we've been in these last sections, the things that are most interesting to me are the things that are so modern. I feel like there is some exponential correlation between the year these things were discovered and how difficult they are to comprehend. But, not only that, but I think that it is interesting to view the field of mathematics these days. For example, take a look at the Mersene primes. It almost seems that to be an accomplished mathematician these days, you need to have some sort of computer programing experience. It almost feels like all "Paper and pencil" discoveries are over (obviously, any sort of new proof must be written by someone, and that can't really be done with a computer) and the implementation of new mathematical discoveries (like new Mersene primes) are done by computer programs. We have only to run the programs and wait for the next big discovery. That, to me, is so interesting.