Mersenne Prime

Definition

A Mersenne prime is a prime number of the form

2n1

where n is a positive integer.


Theorem

If an1 is prime for some positive integers a,n, then a=2 and n is prime.

This provides a necessary condition for the value of n in all Mersenne primes.

Proof

If a3 then we have the following non-trivial factorisation:

an1=(a1)(an1+an2++a+1).

This factorisation is non-trivial since a3a12 and since n is a positive integer, an1++1 is at least 1+1=2.

Then, we will take a=2 and show the contrapositive, that n being composite implies that 2n1 is composite. Noting that n=1 gives 2n1 which is not prime.

Let n=sr where s,r2, then we have the factorisation:

2sr1=(2r)s1=(2r1)((2r)s1+(2r)s2++2r+1)

where since r2, neither term is trivial.