Landon Curt Noll facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Landon Curt Noll
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Noll in 2007
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| Born | October 28, 1960 |
| Other names | chongo, Lord Ogden |
| Alma mater | California State University, East Bay and Linfield University |
| Known for | International Obfuscated C Code Contest Fowler Noll Vo hash Lavarand Prime number Vulcanoid asteroid Names of large numbers |
| Awards | USENIX Lifetime Achievement Award (contributor - 1993) |
| Scientific career | |
| Fields | Mathematics and Cryptography and Astronomy |
| Institutions | Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory and Fremont Peak Observatory |
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Held or co-held 8 World records relating to large prime numbers. Common username: chongo
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Landon Curt Noll (born October 28, 1960) is an American computer scientist. He is famous for finding very large prime numbers. A prime number is a whole number greater than 1 that can only be divided evenly by 1 and itself (like 2, 3, 5, 7).
Noll helped discover the 25th and 26th Mersenne primes. Mersenne primes are a special type of prime number that are very large. He found these huge numbers while he was still in high school and also taking classes at California State University, Hayward.
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Discoveries and Achievements
Landon Curt Noll was born in Walnut Creek, California, United States. When he was just 18 years old, he became the youngest person ever to find the largest known prime. This was a world record! He has held or shared this record three times.
Finding Giant Primes
Noll is well-known for his work with prime numbers. He was part of a team that found a record-breaking prime number in 1989. This prime was special because it was not a Mersenne prime, which is unusual for such a large number.
Naming Huge Numbers
Noll also worked with John Horton Conway, another famous mathematician. Together, they created a system for naming extremely large numbers. These numbers are so big they are written as powers of 10, like 10 with many zeros after it.
Computer Science Contributions
Landon Curt Noll helped start the International Obfuscated C Code Contest. This is a fun competition where programmers write computer code that is hard to read but still works. He also helped create the Fowler Noll Vo hash function. A hash function is like a special math rule that turns data into a short code. This code helps computers quickly find and check information.
Astronomy and Public Service
Besides his work in computer science and math, Noll is also very interested in space. He is an amateur astronomer, which means he studies stars and planets as a hobby.
Exploring Space
Noll has done real scientific work in astronomy. He helped measure the Solar parallax during the 2004 Transit of Venus. This measurement helps scientists figure out the distance from Earth to the Sun. He also searches for Vulcanoid asteroids. These are asteroids that might be orbiting the Sun closer than the planet Mercury.
Community Involvement
Landon Curt Noll has also been involved in local government. He served as a city council member in Sunnyvale, California. He even held the position of vice-mayor for a time. This shows his commitment to helping his community.
