/sci/ - Science & Math

>>10060468
If you find the relevance of primes dubious, perceive them as parametrizing particular ring ideals and then tie their importance to the all important status of ring ideals.
t. theoretical physicist

Regarding primes in Z, think of them as parametrizing the grids that cover no smaller grids.

... -6 -4 -2 0 2 4 6 8 ...
is the grid geberated by 2
(Think of a cristal with a 2mm spacing ir something)

... -25 -20 -15 ...
is the grid generated by 5

-12 -6 0 6 12 18 ...
is the grid generated by 6

etc.

The grid of 2 already covers all element of the grid of 6 (or of any grid of 2m, really)

The primes are exactly the numbers which geberate fundamentally new grids that yiu haven't yet covered by smaller numbers

You not only have such grids/ideals for the algebraic object given by + and *, but by any ring