A basic feature of number theory, prime numbers are also a fundamental building block of computer science, from hashtables to cryptography.

Both arithmetic aficionados and the mathematically challenged will be equally captivated by new research that upends hundreds of years of popular belief about prime numbers.

Luke Durant, a 36-year-old researcher who attended the Alabama School of Math and Science, has discovered the largest prime number known to mathematicians.

The largest known prime number has been discovered, smashing the previous record by more than 16 million digits.