Mersenne primes are special types of prime numbers that can be expressed in the form $$M_n = 2^n - 1$$, where $$n$$ is a positive integer. They are named after the French monk Marin Mersenne who studied these numbers in the early 17th century. Mersenne primes are significant because they are linked to perfect numbers, and their search has led to advances in computational methods and number theory.
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