Explain your answer.
2007-11-17 09:05:20 · 5 answers · asked by Helen B 5 in Science & Mathematics ➔ Mathematics
A prime number is a number that can be divided by itself and 1
The first prime number is 2.
1 is not prime.
2007-11-25 06:46:15 · answer #1 · answered by Como 7 · 3⤊ 3⤋
No. A prime number is defined as having only two factors: 1 and itself. The only factor that the number 1 has is itself, 1. So, it is not prime by definition. It is in a class all its own.
2007-11-17 17:10:05 · answer #2 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 0⤋
1 is not prime. The reason is merely a matter of convenience: many theorems about prime numbers would be false otherwise, with 1 as the sole exception. So mathematicians have declared prime numbers to be numbers greater than 1 whose only factors are themselves and 1.
And incidentally, the joke about the oddest prime refers to 2: it is so odd because it is the only prime which is even!
2007-11-17 17:27:05 · answer #3 · answered by Michael M 7 · 2⤊ 1⤋
By definition, a prime number is a number that has exactly 2 factors, 1 and itself.
1 does not have two factors; it only has one factor: 1. Therefore, it is NOT a prime number.
0 and 1 are special, since they are neither prime nor composite nuumbers.
Hope that helps!
2007-11-17 17:08:59 · answer #4 · answered by Anonymous · 2⤊ 1⤋
Yes. It is called "the oddest prime", because it kinda bends the rule. A prime is only divisible by 1 and itself. Since 1 IS itself, this seems kinda weird, but the rule still fits.
2007-11-17 17:09:59 · answer #5 · answered by James 1 · 2⤊ 2⤋