Noun
(mathematics) A certain kind of sequence of prime numbers, with applications in cryptography.
A Cunningham chain of the first kind of length n is a sequence of prime numbers (p1, ..., pn) such that for all 1 ≤ i < n, pi+1 = 2pi + 1.
A Cunningham chain of the second kind of length n is a sequence of prime numbers (p1,...,pn) such that for all 1 ≤ i < n, pi+1 = 2pi − 1.
Source: en.wiktionary.org