the first few mersenne primes are 3 , 7 , 31 , 127 and 8191 . these numbers took a total of sixteen weeks to verify , with different tools and machines . each number was simultaneously checked by several members of gimps ' evaluation team , using 16 - bit systems of different sizes . the two primes were announced by gimps on september 16 . before these twin discoveries , the two previously larger known large numbers were uncovered by ucmo professors earnest cooper and stephen boone in missouri , america states , and their operation lasted approximately three times . historically , prime numbers obtained by gimps are larger than the one formerly found . the only other exception was before the 29th mersenne prime was discovered after the 30th and 31st were located . launched by m . i . t . graduate george woltman in 1996 , gimps has found 12 mersenne primes , or about one per decade on averages .
Steve Boone is a member of GIMPS.