Prime number the 1970s, mathematicians and physicists have speculated that the zeros of the Riemann zeta function are connected to the energy levels of quantum systems. Prime numbers are also significant in quantum information science, thanks to mathematical structures such as mutually unbiased bases and symmetric informationally complete positive-operator-valued measures. The evolutionary strategy used by cicadas of the genus "Magicicada" makes use of prime numbers. These insects spend most of their lives as grubs underground. They only pupate and then emerge from their burrows after 7, 13 or 17 years, at which point they fly about, breed, and then die after a
Prime number factorizations are based on Euclid's lemma: If formula_20 is a prime number and formula_20 divides a product formula_33 of integers formula_34 and formula_35, then formula_20 divides formula_34 or formula_20 divides formula_35 (or both). Conversely, if a number formula_20 has the property that when it divides a product it always divides at least one factor of the product, then formula_20 must be prime. There are infinitely many prime numbers. Another way of saying this is that the sequence of prime numbers never ends. This statement is referred to as "Euclid's theorem" in honor of the ancient Greek mathematician Euclid, since the