{
  "aliases": null,
  "backlinks": null,
  "body": "\n## Statement\n\nLet $n$ be a natural number.\nIf $2^n - 1$ is a [[prime number|0SN0MAEKYX]], then $n$ is a prime number.\n\n## Remarks\n\nThe proof: if $n = ab$ with $1 \u003c a \u003c n$, then $2^a - 1$ divides $2^n - 1$, because $x - 1$ divides $x^b - 1$ for $x = 2^a$. And $1 \u003c 2^a - 1 \u003c 2^n - 1$.\nFor example, $2^6 - 1 = 63$ is divisible by $2^2 - 1 = 3$ and by $2^3 - 1 = 7$.\nThe converse is false: $11$ is prime, but $2^{11} - 1 = 23 \\cdot 89$.\n\n## Explanations\n\n### L1 human\n\nTo look for primes of the form $2^n - 1$, you only need to try prime exponents $n$.\nA factorization of $n$ always gives a factorization of $2^n - 1$.\n",
  "commit": "6ac761d40018146541484a9e8b9eafd6ecc303dc",
  "front": {
    "kind": "statement",
    "msc": [
      "11A41"
    ],
    "name": "If 2^p − 1 is prime then p is prime",
    "role": "proposition",
    "sources": [
      {
        "locator": "Theorems about Mersenne numbers",
        "url": "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mersenne_prime"
      }
    ],
    "tag": "07MMWAXMYD",
    "uses": [
      "0GJBJ19NXR",
      "0SN0MAEKYX"
    ]
  },
  "kind": "statement",
  "link": "https://math2.tamnd.com/node/07MMWAXMYD/",
  "links": [
    {
      "field": "uses",
      "target": "0GJBJ19NXR"
    },
    {
      "field": "uses",
      "target": "0SN0MAEKYX"
    }
  ],
  "markdown": "https://math2.tamnd.com/node/07MMWAXMYD.md",
  "msc": [
    "11A41"
  ],
  "name": "If 2^p − 1 is prime then p is prime",
  "prov": null,
  "role": "proposition",
  "source": "https://github.com/tamnd/math2/blob/main/nodes/07M/07MMWAXMYD.md",
  "status": null,
  "tag": "07MMWAXMYD",
  "uri": "m2://07MMWAXMYD",
  "url": "https://math2.tamnd.com/wiki/if-2-p-1-is-prime-then-p-is-prime/",
  "writing": {
    "tag": "07MMWAXMYD",
    "kind": "statement",
    "level": "W0",
    "next": [
      {
        "what": "an inventory row",
        "note": "the row of the inventory that the node accounts for",
        "have": 0,
        "want": 1
      }
    ]
  }
}
