Gaussian primes
A kind of number
About Gaussian primes
A Gaussian prime is a Gaussian integer that cannot be factored into non-unit Gaussian integers. Gaussian integers are complex numbers of the form a + bi where a and b are ordinary integers.
Key features
- A Gaussian integer is prime if its norm is a prime (in the usual sense) or if it is the product of 1 + i and a prime of the form 4k + 3.
- The prime 2 factors as (1 + i)(1 − i) in the Gaussian integers.
Examples: