Abstract:
Prime numbers, regarded as the atoms of arithmetic, play an essential role in number
theory. Being the keys that protect our electronic secrets on the Internet, they manifest a very
mysterious behaviour. At the same time, the interest among students of Moldova in any form of
mathematics is gradually decreasing and prime numbers are no longer considered as a domain of
interest for the young generation. This article represents a detailed survey on prime numbers and
aims to spark the interest in this area, by presenting numerous motivating factors that emphasize
the necessity to further study these enigmatic numbers. Throughout this survey, the history,
distribution and analysis of the patterns they form, as well as some real world applications of
primes are considered.