Gilbreath's conjecture

proper noun

A conjecture in number theory regarding the sequences generated by applying the forward difference operator to consecutive prime numbers and leaving the results unsigned, and then repeating this process on consecutive terms in the resulting sequence, and so forth. The first term in every such sequence appears to be 1.

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Meanings

proper noun
  1. mathematicsA conjecture in number theory regarding the sequences generated by applying the forward difference operator to consecutive prime numbers and leaving the results unsigned, and then repeating this process on consecutive terms in the resulting sequence, and so forth. The first term in every such sequence appears to be 1.

Origin

Named after mathematician Norman L. Gilbreath, who presented it in 1958.

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Cite this entry
APA

Gilbreath's conjecture. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 5, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/Gilbreath's%20conjecture

MLA

“Gilbreath's conjecture.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/Gilbreath's%20conjecture. Accessed November 5, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “Gilbreath's conjecture,” accessed November 5, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/Gilbreath's%20conjecture.

Source: Gilbreath's conjecture on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.