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helenS · 36-40, F
Every number can be written as a product of primes in exactly one way (a fundamental theorem of arithmetics); for example, 12 = 2x2x3.
If 1 were prime, we would lose that uniqueness. We could write 12 as 1×2x2x3, or 1×1×2x2x3, or 1x1x1x(...)x1x2x2x3.
That's why excluding 1 from the set of prime numbers makes sense.
(essentially stolen from [i]https://blogs.scientificamerican.com/roots-of-unity/why-isnt-1-a-prime-number[/i]/)
If 1 were prime, we would lose that uniqueness. We could write 12 as 1×2x2x3, or 1×1×2x2x3, or 1x1x1x(...)x1x2x2x3.
That's why excluding 1 from the set of prime numbers makes sense.
(essentially stolen from [i]https://blogs.scientificamerican.com/roots-of-unity/why-isnt-1-a-prime-number[/i]/)
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Seewhoitis · 51-55, M
DownTheStreet · 51-55, M
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helenS · 36-40, F
@DownTheStreet Mr. Trump would rather declare 10 being prime; the American Mathematical Society (AMS) would protest; Trump would declare national emergency over prime numbers, and decree 10 to be one, and fire the executive board of the AMS for being ignorant doofuses...
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SwampFlower · 31-35, F
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SwampFlower · 31-35, F
@MalteseFalconPunch it makes way more sense than trying to make it a prime? That's breaking my brain tbh lol
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😎
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MOONAMONA86 · 36-40, F
QuixoticSoul · 41-45, M
[quote]A prime number is a [b]natural number greater than 1[/b] that is not a product of two smaller natural numbers. [/quote]
Pretty uncontroversial.
Pretty uncontroversial.
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