Is there a simple algorithm that can determine if X is prime?

Question

I have been trying to work my way through Project Euler, and have noticed a handful of problems ask for you to determine a prime number as part of it.

1. I kno

Answer 1

Maybe this implementation in Java can be helpful:

public class SieveOfEratosthenes {

    /**
     * Calling this method with argument 7 will return: true true false false true false true false
     * which must be interpreted as : 0 is NOT prime, 1 is NOT prime, 2 IS prime, 3 IS prime, 4 is NOT prime
     * 5 is prime, 6 is NOT prime, 7 is prime.
     * Caller may either revert the array for easier reading, count the number of primes or extract the prime values
     * by looping.
     * @param upTo Find prime numbers up to this value. Must be a positive integer.
     * @return a boolean array where index represents the integer value and value at index returns
     * if the number is NOT prime or not.
     */
    public static boolean[] isIndexNotPrime(int upTo) {
        if (upTo < 2) {
            return new boolean[0];
        }

        // 0-index array, upper limit must be upTo + 1
        final boolean[] isIndexNotPrime = new boolean[upTo + 1];

        isIndexNotPrime[0] = true; // 0 is not a prime number.
        isIndexNotPrime[1] = true; // 1 is not a prime number.

        // Find all non primes starting from 2 by finding 2 * 2, 2 * 3, 2 * 4 until 2 * multiplier > isIndexNotPrime.len
        // Find next by 3 * 3 (since 2 * 3 was found before), 3 * 4, 3 * 5 until 3 * multiplier > isIndexNotPrime.len
        // Move to 4, since isIndexNotPrime[4] is already True (not prime) no need to loop..
        // Move to 5, 5 * 5, (2 * 5 and 3 * 5 was already set to True..) until 5 * multiplier > isIndexNotPrime.len
        // Repeat process until i * i > isIndexNotPrime.len.
        // Assume we are looking up to 100. Break once you reach 11 since 11 * 11 == 121 and we are not interested in
        // primes above 121..
        for (int i = 2; i < isIndexNotPrime.length; i++) {
            if (i * i >= isIndexNotPrime.length) {
                break;
            }
            if (isIndexNotPrime[i]) {
                continue;
            }
            int multiplier = i;
            while (i * multiplier < isIndexNotPrime.length) {
                isIndexNotPrime[i * multiplier] = true;
                multiplier++;
            }
        }

        return isIndexNotPrime;
    }

    public static void main(String[] args) {
        final boolean[] indexNotPrime = SieveOfEratosthenes.isIndexNotPrime(7);
        assert !indexNotPrime[2]; // Not (not prime)
        assert !indexNotPrime[3]; // Not (not prime)
        assert indexNotPrime[4]; // (not prime)
        assert !indexNotPrime[5]; // Not (not prime)
        assert indexNotPrime[6]; // (not prime)
        assert !indexNotPrime[7]; // Not (not prime)
    }
}