Reputation: 19
print("Number of primes must be greater than 2")
number = int(input("Number of primes: "))
if number < 1:
print("Invalid input")
exit()
print(2)
print(3)
i = 0
no_primes = 2
while 1 < 2:
m = 6 * i - 1
n = 6 * i + 1
if (2 ** m) % m == 2:
print(m)
no_primes += 1
if no_primes == number:
break
if (2 ** n) % n == 2:
print(n)
no_primes += 1
if no_primes == number:
break
i += 1
My code uses the fact that primes can be expressed in the form 6n-1 or 6n+1 except for 2 and 3. My while loop looks quite strange but I don't have the expertise to manoeuvre with loops consisting of two variables (no_primes and i in this case). When I generate the first 1000 primes, it skips a few, ending with 7789 instead of 7919. Does anybody know why? Also, sorry if the code looks redundant. If it is, please do state how I can improve it
I started python only a few weeks ago, thought you'll should know
Upvotes: 0
Views: 118
Reputation: 12721
I'm not sure checking (2 ** m) % m == 2
and (2 ** n) % n == 2
will give you all prime numbers.
Have you compared with a more brute force approach?
print("Number of primes must be greater than 2")
number = int(input("Number of primes: "))
if number < 1:
print("Invalid input")
exit()
elif number == 1:
print(2)
else:
print(2)
print(3)
prime_set = {2,3}
i = 1
while len(prime_set) < number:
m = 6 * i - 1
n = 6 * i + 1
if all(m % p != 0 for p in prime_set):
prime_set.add(m)
print(m)
if all(n % p != 0 for p in prime_set):
prime_set.add(n)
print(n)
i+=1
Here the solution edited by @Aqeel for improved Efficiency:
import time
import math
number = int(input("Number of primes: "))
t_0 = time.time()
if number < 1:
print("Invalid input")
exit()
elif number == 1:
print(2)
else:
print(2)
print(3)
primes = [2, 3]
i = 1
while len(primes) < number:
prime_m = True
prime_n = True
m = 6 * i - 1
n = 6 * i + 1
sqrt_m = math.sqrt(m)
sqrt_n = math.sqrt(n)
for prime in primes:
if prime > sqrt_m:
break
if m % prime == 0:
prime_m = False
break
if prime_m:
print(m)
primes.append(m)
if len(primes) == number:
break
for prime in primes:
if prime > sqrt_n:
break
if n % prime == 0:
prime_n = False
break
if prime_n:
print(n)
primes.append(n)
i += 1
t_1 = time.time()
print(f"Found %s prime numbers in %ss" % (number, t_1 - t_0))
Upvotes: 1
Reputation: 1182
The answer to your issue is that you are printing non-prime numbers.
Running your code (with input 1000) provides 1000 numbers, but checking these numbers with a proper is_prime() function yields these numbers that are not primes:
341
1105
1387
1729
2047
2465
2701
2821
3277
4033
4369
4681
5461
6601
As answered by @Tranbi, (2 ** m) % m == 2
is not a proper test for testing primes. Check out this answer for a better solution
Upvotes: 0