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The most important class of pseudoprimes come from the Fermat's little theorem and hence they are called Fermat pseudoprimes. This theorem states that if p is prime and a is coprime to p, then ap-1 - 1 is divisible by p. If a number x is not prime, a is coprime to x and x divides ax-1 - 1, then x is called a pseudoprime to base a. A number x that is a pseudoprime for all values of a that are coprime to x is called a Carmichael number.
The smallest Fermat pseudoprime for the base 2 is 341. It is not a prime, since it equals 11 · 31, nevertheless it satisfies Fermats little theorem; 2341=2 (mod 341).
There are applications in public-key cryptography such as RSA that need large prime numbers. The usual algorithm to generate prime numbers is to generate random odd numbers and test them for primality. However, deterministic primality tests are slow. If the user does not require the test to be completely accurate (say, he might tolerate a very small chance that a composite number is declared to be prime), there are fast algorithms such as the Fermat primality test, the Solovay-Strassen primality test, and the Miller-Rabin primality test.
There are infinitely many pseudoprimes (in fact infinitely many Carmichael numbers), but they are rather rare. There are only 3 pseudo-primes to base 2 below 1000, to a million there are only 245. Pseudoprimes to base 2 are called Poulet numbers or sometimes Sarrus numbers or Fermatians (sequence A001567 in OEIS). Poulet numbers and Carmichael numbers (in bold) till 41041 are:
| n | n | n | n | n | |||||
| 1 | 341 = 11 · 31 | 11 | 2821 = 7 · 13 · 31 | 21 | 8481 = 3 · 11 · 257 | 31 | 15709 = 23 · 683 | 41 | 30121 = 7 · 13 · 331 |
| 2 | 561 = 3 · 11 · 17 | 12 | 3277 = 29 · 112 | 22 | 8911 = 7 · 19 · 67 | 32 | 15841 = 7 · 31 · 73 | 42 | 30889 = 17 · 23 · 79 |
| 3 | 645 = 3 · 5 · 43 | 13 | 4033 = 37 · 109 | 23 | 10261 = 31 · 331 | 33 | 16705 = 5 · 13 · 257 | 43 | 31417 = 89 · 353 |
| 4 | 1105 = 5 · 13 · 17 | 14 | 4369 = 17 · 257 | 24 | 10585 = 5 · 29 · 73 | 34 | 18705 = 3 · 5 · 29 · 43 | 44 | 31609 = 73 · 433 |
| 5 | 1387 = 19 · 73 | 15 | 4371 = 3 · 31 · 47 | 25 | 11305 = 5 · 7 · 17 · 19 | 35 | 18721 = 97 · 193 | 45 | 31621 = 103 · 307 |
| 6 | 1729 = 7 · 13 · 19 | 16 | 4681 = 31 · 151 | 26 | 12801 = 3 · 17 · 251 | 36 | 19951 = 71 · 281 | 46 | 33153 = 3 · 43 · 257 |
| 7 | 1905 = 3 · 5 · 127 | 17 | 5461 = 43 · 127 | 27 | 13741 = 7 · 13 · 151 | 37 | 23001 = 3 · 11 · 17 · 41 | 47 | 34945 = 5 · 29 · 241 |
| 8 | 2047 = 23 · 89 | 18 | 6601 = 7 · 23 · 41 | 28 | 13747 = 59 · 233 | 38 | 23377 = 97 · 241 | 48 | 35333 = 89 · 397 |
| 9 | 2465 = 5 · 17 · 29 | 19 | 7957 = 73 · 109 | 29 | 13981 = 11 · 31 · 41 | 39 | 25761 = 3 · 31 · 277 | 49 | 39865 = 5 · 7 · 17 · 67 |
| 10 | 2701 = 37 · 73 | 20 | 8321 = 53 · 157 | 30 | 14491 = 43 · 337 | 40 | 29341 = 13 · 37 · 61 | 50 | 41041 = 7 · 11 · 13 · 41 |
A Poulet number all of whose divisors d divide 2d - 2 is called
The first smallest pseudoprimes for bases a ≤ 200 are given in the following table; the colors mark the number of prime factors.
| a | smallest p-p | a | smallest p-p | a | smallest p-p | a | smallest p-p |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 51 | 65 = 5 · 13 | 101 | 175 = 52 · 7 | 151 | 175 = 52 · 7 | ||
| 2 | 341 = 11 · 13 | 52 | 85 = 5 · 17 | 102 | 133 = 7 · 19 | 152 | 153 = 32 · 17 |
| 3 | 91 = 7 · 13 | 53 | 65 = 5 · 13 | 103 | 133 = 7 · 19 | 153 | 209 = 11 · 19 |
| 4 | 15 = 3 · 5 | 54 | 55 = 5 · 11 | 104 | 105 = 3 · 5 · 7 | 154 | 155 = 5 · 31 |
| 5 | 124 = 22 · 31 | 55 | 63 = 32 · 7 | 105 | 451 = 11 · 41 | 155 | 231 = 3 · 7 · 11 |
| 6 | 35 = 5 · 7 | 56 | 57 = 3 · 19 | 106 | 133 = 7 · 19 | 156 | 217 = 7 · 31 |
| 7 | 25 = 52 | 57 | 65 = 5 · 13 | 107 | 133 = 7 · 19 | 157 | 186 = 2 · 3 · 31 |
| 8 | 9 = 32 | 58 | 133 = 7 · 19 | 108 | 341 = 11 · 31 | 158 | 159 = 3 · 53 |
| 9 | 28 = 22 · 7 | 59 | 87 = 3 · 29 | 109 | 117 = 32 · 13 | 159 | 247 = 13 · 19 |
| 10 | 33 = 3 · 11 | 60 | 341 = 11 · 31 | 110 | 111 = 3 · 37 | 160 | 161 = 7 · 23 |
| 11 | 15 = 3 · 5 | 61 | 91 = 7 · 13 | 111 | 190 = 2 · 5 · 19 | 161 | 190=2 · 5 · 19 |
| 12 | 65 = 5 · 13 | 62 | 63 = 32 · 7 | 112 | 121 = 112 | 162 | 481 = 13 · 37 |
| 13 | 21 = 3 · 7 | 63 | 341 = 11 · 31 | 113 | 133 = 7 · 19 | 163 | 186 = 2 · 3 · 31 |
| 14 | 15 = 3 · 5 | 64 | 65 = 5 · 13 | 114 | 115 = 5 · 23 | 164 | 165 = 3 · 5 · 11 |
| 15 | 341 = 11 · 13 | 65 | 112 = 24 · 7 | 115 | 133 = 7 · 19 | 165 | 172 = 22 · 43 |
| 16 | 51 = 3 · 17 | 66 | 91 = 7 · 13 | 116 | 117 = 32 · 13 | 166 | 301 = 7 · 43 |
| 17 | 45 = 32 · 5 | 67 | 85 = 5 · 17 | 117 | 145 = 5 · 29 | 167 | 231 = 3 · 7 · 11 |
| 18 | 25 = 52 | 68 | 69 = 3 · 23 | 118 | 119 = 7 · 17 | 168 | 169 = 132 |
| 19 | 45 = 32 · 5 | 69 | 85 = 5 · 17 | 119 | 177 = 3 · 59 | 169 | 231 = 3 · 7 · 11 |
| 20 | 21 = 3 · 7 | 70 | 169 = 132 | 120 | 121 = 112 | 170 | 171 = 32 · 19 |
| 21 | 55 = 5 · 11 | 71 | 105 = 3 · 5 · 7 | 121 | 133 = 7 · 19 | 171 | 215 = 5 · 43 |
| 22 | 69 = 3 · 23 | 72 | 85 = 5 · 17 | 122 | 123 = 3 · 41 | 172 | 247 = 13 · 19 |
| 23 | 33 = 3 · 11 | 73 | 111 = 3 · 37 | 123 | 217 = 7 · 31 | 173 | 205 = 5 · 41 |
| 24 | 25 = 52 | 74 | 75 = 3 · 52 | 124 | 125 = 33 | 174 | 175 = 52 · 7 |
| 25 | 28 = 22 · 7 | 75 | 91 = 7 · 13 | 125 | 133 = 7 · 19 | 175 | 319 = 11 · 19 |
| 26 | 27 = 33 | 76 | 77 = 7 · 11 | 126 | 247 = 13 · 19 | 176 | 177 = 3 · 59 |
| 27 | 65 = 5 · 13 | 77 | 247 = 13 · 19 | 127 | 153 = 32 · 17 | 177 | 196 = 22 · 72 |
| 28 | 45 = 32 · 5 | 78 | 341 = 11 · 31 | 128 | 129 = 3 · 43 | 178 | 247 = 13 · 19 |
| 29 | 35 = 5 · 7 | 79 | 91 = 7 · 13 | 129 | 217 = 7 · 31 | 179 | 185 = 5 · 37 |
| 30 | 49 = 72 | 80 | 81 = 34 | 130 | 217 = 7 · 31 | 180 | 217 = 7 · 31 |
| 31 | 49 = 72 | 81 = 34 | 85 = 5 · 17 | 131 | 143 = 11 · 13 | 181 | 195 = 3 · 5 · 13 |
| 32 | 33 = 3 · 11 | 82 | 91 = 7 · 13 | 132 | 133 = 7 · 19 | 182 | 183 = 3 · 61 |
| 33 | 85 = 5 · 17 | 83 | 105 = 3 · 5 · 7 | 133 | 145 = 5 · 29 | 183 | 221 = 13 · 17 |
| 34 | 35 = 5 · 7 | 84 | 85 = 5 · 17 | 134 | 135 = 33 · 5 | 184 | 185 = 5 · 37 |
| 35 | 51 = 3 · 17 | 85 | 129 = 3 · 43 | 135 | 221 = 13 · 17 | 185 | 217 = 7 · 31 |
| 36 | 91 = 7 · 13 | 86 | 87 = 3 · 29 | 136 | 265 = 5 · 53 | 186 | 187 = 11 · 17 |
| 37 | 45 = 32 · 5 | 87 | 91 = 7 · 13 | 137 | 148 = 22 · 37 | 187 | 217 = 7 · 31 |
| 38 | 39 = 3 · 13 | 88 | 91 = 7 · 13 | 138 | 259 = 7 · 37 | 188 | 189 = 33 · 7 |
| 39 | 95 = 5 · 19 | 89 | 99 = 32 · 11 | 139 | 161 = 7 · 23 | 189 | 235 = 5 · 47 |
| 40 | 91 = 7 · 13 | 90 | 91 = 7 · 13 | 140 | 141 = 3 · 47 | 190 | 231 = 3 · 7 · 11 |
| 41 | 105 = 3 · 5 · 7 | 91 | 115 = 5 · 23 | 141 | 355 = 5 · 71 | 191 | 217 = 7 · 31 |
| 42 | 205 = 5 · 41 | 92 | 93 = 3 · 31 | 142 | 143 = 11 · 13 | 192 | 217 = 7 · 31 |
| 43 | 77 = 7 · 11 | 93 | 301 = 7 · 43 | 143 | 213 = 3 · 71 | 193 | 276 = 22 · 3 · 23 |
| 44 | 45 = 32 · 5 | 94 | 95 = 5 · 19 | 144 | 145 = 5 · 29 | 194 | 195 = 3 · 5 · 13 |
| 45 | 76 = 22 · 19 | 95 | 141 = 3 · 47 | 145 | 153 = 32 · 17 | 195 | 259 = 7 · 37 |
| 46 | 133 = 7 · 19 | 96 | 133 = 7 · 19 | 146 | 147 = 3 · 72 | 196 | 205 = 5 · 41 |
| 47 | 65 = 5 · 13 | 97 | 105 = 3 · 5 · 7 | 147 | 169 = 132 | 197 | 231 = 3 · 7 · 11 |
| 48 | 49 = 72 | 98 | 99 = 32 · 11 | 148 | 231 = 3 · 7 · 11 | 198 | 247 = 13 · 19 |
| 49 | 66 = 2 · 3 · 11 | 99 | 145 = 5 · 29 | 149 | 175 = 52 · 7 | 199 | 225 = 32 · 52 |
| 50 | 51 = 3 · 17 | 100 | 153 = 32 · 17 | 150 | 169 = 132 | 200 | 201 = 3 · 67 |
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