the first few mersenne primes are 3 , 7 , 31 , 127 and 8191 . these numbered taken a total of many weeks to verify , in different software and machinery . each number was independently found by all members of gimps ' verification project , using 16 - core computers of different configurations . the remaining infinitely were announced by gimps on september 16 . before these initial discoveries , the five previously largest found prime numbers were identified by ucmo professors philip coop and steven boone in missouri , united usa , and their record lasted almost three years . currently , prime names discovered by gimps are larger than the one previously found . the only other exception was when the 29th mersenne prime was uncovered after the 30th and 31st were discoveries . begun by m . i . t . graduate george woltman in 1996 , gimps has found 12 mersenne primes , or about 12 by row on best .
Steve Boone is a member of GIMPS.