Gauss created one of the first mathematical datasets by computing the first ~100,000 prime numbers and discovered the prime number theorem empirically—that the number of primes up to X is approximately X divided by the natural logarithm of X—through statistical analysis without proof, establishing the first important statistical conjecture in mathematics.
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Terence TaoEvidence Quote
“He just computed the first 100,000 prime numbers or so, hoping to find patterns... the drop-off in the density was inversely proportional to the natural logarithm of the range of numbers.”
Created: 8/12/2026, 6:05:48 PM
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