twin prime numbers
Quick Summary
Twin primes are pairs of prime numbers that differ by two. Examples include (3, 5), (5, 7), (11, 13), and (17, 19). The twin prime conjecture, first proposed by Alphonse de Polignac in 1846, asserts that there are infinitely many such pairs. While primes become less frequent as numbers increase, twin primes become even rarer.12
Mathematicians have made progress in understanding gaps between primes. In 2013, Yitang Zhang proved that there are infinitely many prime pairs with a difference of 70 million, a bound later improved to 246. These advancements may contribute to solving the Riemann hypothesis.2
Ask Britannica AI about this topic
Britannica doesn't have a full article on this topic, so we've curated a list of our relevant coverage.