Ulam spiral

noun

A graphical depiction of the set of prime numbers, constructed by writing the positive integers in a square spiral and specially marking the primes.

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Meanings

nounUlam spiral (plural Ulam spirals)

plural Ulam spirals

  1. mathematicsA graphical depiction of the set of prime numbers, constructed by writing the positive integers in a square spiral and specially marking the primes.

Origin

Devised by mathematician Stanislaw Ulam in 1963.

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Cite this entry
APA

Ulam spiral. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 4, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/Ulam%20spiral

MLA

“Ulam spiral.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/Ulam%20spiral. Accessed November 4, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “Ulam spiral,” accessed November 4, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/Ulam%20spiral.

Source: Ulam spiral on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.