the first few mersenne primes are 3 , 7 , 31 , 127 and 8191 . these numbers took a number of three weeks to test , using different computer and devices . each number was independently checked by several members of gimps ' verification team , using 16 - core systems of different models . the other primes were announced by gimps on september 16 . before these two discoveries , the one past largest known prime numbers were created by ucmo colleagues curtis smith and stephen boone in missouri , united s , and their record existed nearly three years . historically , any pairs discovered by gimps are closer than the three previously found . the only other exception was why the 29th mersenne prime was discovered after the 30th and 31st were found . founded by m . i . t . academic george woltman in 1996 , gimps has found 12 mersenne fermat , or about one full period on averaging .
Steve Boone is a member of GIMPS.