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5th grade math question
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 2010-09-21 2:18 PM |
Master  1914    Finally north of the Mason-Dixon Line |  Subject: 5th grade math questionSo the math question of the day is this: Is the number 1 a prime number? The answer according to mom (me) and confirmed on mathwhiz is - no not prime but mathwhiz goes further with it's a "unique" numbe - something about quantum something or other..... and it lost me. So the daughter then asks - what is it then? if not prime or composite what is it. Mom and mathwhiz have no answer (that I can understand and explain) - so does BT know in layman terms what 1 is? (other then "the loneliest number") |
| 2010-09-21 2:21 PM in reply to: #3110426 |
Extreme Veteran 605 | Subject: RE: 5th grade math question It is special. In relation to prime numbers the wiki is pretty good. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Prime_number#Primality_of_one |
| 2010-09-21 2:25 PM in reply to: #3110426 |
Champion 6786  Two seat rocket plane | Subject: RE: 5th grade math question Because Pluto is no longer a planet. |
| 2010-09-21 2:29 PM in reply to: #3110452 |
Pro 6767 the Alabama part of Pennsylvania | Subject: RE: 5th grade math question ride_like_u_stole_it - 2010-09-21 3:25 PM Because Pluto is no longer a planet. And the triceratops is no longer a species of dinosaur (or anything else - it is a juvenile Torosaurus. though why they decided that it meant the triceratops is not a species instead of calling the torosaurus a grown up triceratops is beyond me). |
| 2010-09-21 3:47 PM in reply to: #3110426 |
Pro 4612 MA | Subject: RE: 5th grade math question It's not prime, it's not composite. It's a standalone "one". Belongs to its own category. Just like anything else - it's not right or wrong; it's not black or white. It can be grey... |
| 2010-09-21 3:54 PM in reply to: #3110426 |
Member 5452 NC | Subject: RE: 5th grade math question Here are a few answers: http://primes.utm.edu/notes/faq/one.html. I don't claim to know if this is correct, but it sure does sound fancy. |
| 2010-09-21 4:55 PM in reply to: #3110426 |
Elite 3091 Spokane, WA | Subject: RE: 5th grade math question One love, one blood |
| 2010-09-21 8:15 PM in reply to: #3110426 |
Expert 1095 C-bus | Subject: RE: 5th grade math question It may be considered a "perfect number". A perfect number is a number that, when you take its factors (besides itself) and then add them or multiply them and you get that number. Example: 6 is a "perfect number" 1+2+3 = 6 and 1x2x3 = 6 I guess with 1, its 1=1 and 1=1, since there is nothing else to add or multiply with... I'm a little rusty on my mathematical definitions after staying at home instead of teaching for 5 years... |
| 2010-09-22 7:52 AM in reply to: #3110775 |
Extreme Veteran 605 | Subject: RE: 5th grade math question zed707 - 2010-09-21 4:55 PM One love, one blood U2 |
| 2010-09-22 8:40 AM in reply to: #3110426 |
Champion 4942 Richmond, VA | Subject: RE: 5th grade math question why do we have to put things in boxes? it is a free spirit number... it is unitary it is lonely it is base definition is greater than zero, but it is less than two it is positive at times it can both be a square and still be itself and, sadly, it is odd |
| 2010-09-22 8:47 AM in reply to: #3111527 |
Veteran 268 Randomly scattered in at least 3 states | Subject: RE: 5th grade math question condorman - 2010-09-22 9:40 AM why do we have to put things in boxes? it is a free spirit number... it is unitary it is lonely it is base definition is greater than zero, but it is less than two it is positive at times it can both be a square and still be itself and, sadly, it is odd Don't forget... Rational, real, complex with no imaginary component. And if you have ever taken abstract math and get asked to reduce the problem to it's smallest form. 1 is usually the answer. |
| 2010-09-22 10:37 AM in reply to: #3110426 |
Expert 1002 | Subject: RE: 5th grade math question This is not at all a 5th grade math question, but more along the lines of a dissertation or research paper. What the heck are they teaching in school nowadays?! I keed. :p |
| 2010-09-22 11:00 AM in reply to: #3110426 |
| 248 | Subject: RE: 5th grade math question Apparently none of us are smarter than a 5th grader... |
| 2010-09-22 11:20 AM in reply to: #3110426 |
| Iron Donkey 38643 , Wisconsin | Subject: RE: 5th grade math question Well, I'm quite surprised that no one pointed out that One IS the loneliest number, as per the Three (which is prime) Dog Night - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FVo_Y2wZ0Tw |
| 2010-09-22 12:38 PM in reply to: #3110426 |
Veteran 218 | Subject: RE: 5th grade math question From a 5th grade teacher (me) quoting the current math text in my district, A prime number has "exactly 2 factors (1 and itself). 1 is not a prime number because it has only one factor. Sorry no label in the 5th grade math book for what one actually is, just what it is not.  |
| 2010-09-22 2:48 PM in reply to: #3112049 |
Expert 1690 | Subject: RE: 5th grade math question JamieS - 2010-09-22 1:38 PM From a 5th grade teacher (me) quoting the current math text in my district, A prime number has "exactly 2 factors (1 and itself). 1 is not a prime number because it has only one factor. Sorry no label in the 5th grade math book for what one actually is, just what it is not. This essentially, One is the unity of the ring containing all rational numbers in this case. As the unity it serves the roll 1 * x = x for all x in the set of natural numbers, by accepted theory and definition of unity (which im sure you dont want to hear) 1 * 1 = 1, composite implies two nontrivial factors and prime implies only trivial factors. 1 satisfies neither. (some of this is technically not correct by def but it works for this explanation) Edited by mkarr0110 2010-09-22 2:50 PM |
| 2010-09-22 7:08 PM in reply to: #3110426 |
| Regular 283 | Subject: RE: 5th grade math question There can be only one. But 3, 3 is a magic number. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GA69pmhrBiE |
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