Glossary

Filter:
# A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z All
P
P&D
P3P
PA
PAA
PAD
PAE
PAL
PAP
PAX
PBD
PBX
PC
PCA
PCS
PCZ
PD
Pdl
PDN
PDR
PDS
PDU
PES
PIP
PIX
PKA
PKC
PL
PLA
PM
PMD
PMO
PMP
Pod
POM
Pop
PPL
PPN
PPS
Ps
PSL
PSN
PTR
PTT
PUC
PUT
PVC
PWA
PX
Pseudoprime
  • n. A backgammon prime (six consecutive occupied points) with one point missing. This term is an esoteric pun derived from a mathematical method that, rather than determining precisely whether a number is prime (has no divisors), uses a statistical technique to decide whether the number is `probably' prime. A number that passes this test was, before about 1985, called a `pseudoprime' (the terminology used by number theorists has since changed slightly; pre-1985 pseudoprimes are now `probable primes' and `pseudoprime' has a more restricted meaning in modular arithmetic). The hacker backgammon usage stemmed from the idea that a pseudoprime is almost as good as a prime it does the job of a prime until proven otherwise, and that probably won't happen.