Cunningham chain

noun

A Cunningham chain of the first kind of length n is a sequence of prime numbers (p₁, ..., pₙ) such that for all 1 ≤ i < n, pᵢ₊₁ = 2pᵢ + 1.

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Meanings

nounCunningham chain (plural Cunningham chains)

plural Cunningham chains

  1. A certain kind of sequence of prime numbers, with applications in cryptography.
    1. mathematicsA Cunningham chain of the first kind of length n is a sequence of prime numbers (p₁, ..., pₙ) such that for all 1 ≤ i < n, pᵢ₊₁ = 2pᵢ + 1.
    2. mathematicsA Cunningham chain of the second kind of length n is a sequence of prime numbers (p₁,...,pₙ) such that for all 1 ≤ i < n, pᵢ₊₁ = 2pᵢ − 1.

Origin

Named after mathematician A. J. C. Cunningham.

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Cite this entry
APA

Cunningham chain. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 3, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/Cunningham%20chain

MLA

“Cunningham chain.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/Cunningham%20chain. Accessed November 3, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “Cunningham chain,” accessed November 3, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/Cunningham%20chain.

Source: Cunningham chain on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.