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Stanley Skewes (; 1899–1988) was a South African mathematician, best known for his discovery of the Skewes's number in 1933. He was one of John Edensor Littlewood's students at Cambridge University. Skewes's numbers contributed to the refinement of the theory of prime numbers.
He discovered the first Skewes's number in 1933. This is also referred to as the Riemann true Skewes's number owing to its relationship to the Riemann hypothesis as related to prime number theory. He discovered the second Skewes's number in 1955. This number was applicable if the Riemann hypothesis is false. Since his original discovery the numbers have been further refined.
He married Ena Allen. She was the daughter of the head chef at King's College, Cambridge, and a talented opera singer. Among his contemporaries at Cambridge was Alan Turing. They rowed together at Cambridge. Although Skewes returned to South Africa, he revisited Cambridge and Cornwall. He was also a keen rugby player in his youth.
Skewes and his number are discussed by Isaac Asimov in his book Of Matters Great and Small and in the 20th edition of the Guinness Book of Records. A memorandum written by Skewes on his retirement was kept in a glass case in the department of mathematics at the University of Cape Town. The memorandum discuses Skewes's number and further development of it.
He died in 1988 in Cape Town, South Africa.
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