Significant numbers
November 11, 2005 2:09 PM Subscribe
Significance of numbers. Not to be confused with the concept of "significant figures," this page lists the significance of numbers 0 through 1000.
See! "2 is the only even prime."
Hear! "24 is the largest number divisible by all numbers less than its square root."
Thrill! "3367 is the smallest number which can be written as the difference of 2 cubes in 3 ways." Whoa!
0 is the number of times the guy who put this together has got laid.
posted by quadog at 2:15 PM on November 11, 2005
posted by quadog at 2:15 PM on November 11, 2005
"5" is the number of simulatneous connections their server can handle.
(I love this link, it's just not coming through very fast. And can anyone remind me what a "curious number" is? 2020 is one, apparently)
posted by Wolfdog at 2:19 PM on November 11, 2005
(I love this link, it's just not coming through very fast. And can anyone remind me what a "curious number" is? 2020 is one, apparently)
posted by Wolfdog at 2:19 PM on November 11, 2005
29 is the 7th Lucas number.
I dunno, that seems kind of insignificant.
posted by kenko at 2:23 PM on November 11, 2005
I dunno, that seems kind of insignificant.
posted by kenko at 2:23 PM on November 11, 2005
0 is the number of times the guy who put this together has got laid.
1 is the number of grammatical faults in the previous sentence.
posted by voltairemodern at 2:29 PM on November 11, 2005
1 is the number of grammatical faults in the previous sentence.
posted by voltairemodern at 2:29 PM on November 11, 2005
The fact that they cite about 196 is the beginning of a very difficult open problem: [1, 2].
posted by Wolfdog at 2:30 PM on November 11, 2005
posted by Wolfdog at 2:30 PM on November 11, 2005
One, is the loneliest number that you'll ever see. (aimie mann drifts off on the speakers)
posted by tzelig at 2:30 PM on November 11, 2005
posted by tzelig at 2:30 PM on November 11, 2005
New archytpal MeFi joke:
151 is a palindromic prime.
152 ???
153 = 13 + 53 + 33.
posted by Bugbread at 2:32 PM on November 11, 2005
151 is a palindromic prime.
152 ???
153 = 13 + 53 + 33.
posted by Bugbread at 2:32 PM on November 11, 2005
Awesome! thanks!
There are still a few unclaimed-to-fame numbers in that list.
I'll bet we can use them somewhere.
posted by Balisong at 2:41 PM on November 11, 2005
There are still a few unclaimed-to-fame numbers in that list.
I'll bet we can use them somewhere.
posted by Balisong at 2:41 PM on November 11, 2005
For further reading on this subject, I recommend this excellent and thoroughly fascinating book. Highly readable, even to someone like me, whos stopped taking math in 10th grade (as early as New York State would allow).
posted by Dr. Wu at 2:44 PM on November 11, 2005
posted by Dr. Wu at 2:44 PM on November 11, 2005
this was posted on digg several hours earlier. but here's a version with links to explanations of terms.
posted by 3.2.3 at 2:49 PM on November 11, 2005
posted by 3.2.3 at 2:49 PM on November 11, 2005
3.2.3's version of the link is much better. For instance, 153=13+53+33 is false, but 153=13+53+33, as it is given in 3.2.3's version, is true.
posted by kickingtheground at 2:56 PM on November 11, 2005
posted by kickingtheground at 2:56 PM on November 11, 2005
1729 was the number of a London cab, but is otherwise rather dull.
posted by mr vino at 3:13 PM on November 11, 2005
posted by mr vino at 3:13 PM on November 11, 2005
I was talking to my buddy the other day, and I said ‘Dude, don’t even pretend that 9468 isn’t the sum of its proper divisorsproper divisors that contain the digit 7, cause it is.’
Well this big asshole in the bar comes on like 6 isn’t a perfect number. “It’s not so perfect,” he said. “And pi might as well be 3.”
Well, if those aren’t fighting words...
posted by Smedleyman at 3:41 PM on November 11, 2005
Well this big asshole in the bar comes on like 6 isn’t a perfect number. “It’s not so perfect,” he said. “And pi might as well be 3.”
Well, if those aren’t fighting words...
posted by Smedleyman at 3:41 PM on November 11, 2005
Add this for 163: e^(pi * sqrt(163)), obviously a transcendental expression, evaluates to allllmost an integer (off by about 10^-15).
The fine structure constant, a dimensionless number relating to probability an electron will emit or absorb a photon, was thought to be exactly 137. Richard Feynman once remarked, "...one of the greatest damn mysteries of physics: a magic number that comes to use with no understanding by man." However, it's not an exact integer.
Here are more "almost integers", including a simple one you can try out: sin(11).
posted by kurumi at 4:05 PM on November 11, 2005
The fine structure constant, a dimensionless number relating to probability an electron will emit or absorb a photon, was thought to be exactly 137. Richard Feynman once remarked, "...one of the greatest damn mysteries of physics: a magic number that comes to use with no understanding by man." However, it's not an exact integer.
Here are more "almost integers", including a simple one you can try out: sin(11).
posted by kurumi at 4:05 PM on November 11, 2005
223 is the smallest prime which will nor remain prime if one of its digits is changed.
224 ???
225 PROFIT!
posted by Pretty_Generic at 4:06 PM on November 11, 2005
224 ???
225 PROFIT!
posted by Pretty_Generic at 4:06 PM on November 11, 2005
89 = 8^1 + 9^2.
Go to 3.2.3's link :) Exponents and other crap got left out of this text version.
posted by adzm at 4:09 PM on November 11, 2005
Go to 3.2.3's link :) Exponents and other crap got left out of this text version.
posted by adzm at 4:09 PM on November 11, 2005
That explains "729 = 36"; actually, 729 = 3^6.
posted by alumshubby at 4:30 PM on November 11, 2005
posted by alumshubby at 4:30 PM on November 11, 2005
9091 is the only prime known whose reciprocal has period 10.
I wonder if it really is the only one? I've got some time to kill tonight, maybe I'll solve the discrete log problem.
posted by Wolfdog at 5:30 PM on November 11, 2005
I wonder if it really is the only one? I've got some time to kill tonight, maybe I'll solve the discrete log problem.
posted by Wolfdog at 5:30 PM on November 11, 2005
226 (or 154, depending on the version) is the smallest integer with no real significance.
posted by aubilenon at 6:36 PM on November 11, 2005
posted by aubilenon at 6:36 PM on November 11, 2005
He forgot:
4 8 15 16 23 42
...keeps the world from exploding.
posted by thanotopsis at 6:37 PM on November 11, 2005
4 8 15 16 23 42
...keeps the world from exploding.
posted by thanotopsis at 6:37 PM on November 11, 2005
Of course I post that immediately BEFORE reading Justkevin's similar (but more academic) link.
posted by aubilenon at 6:38 PM on November 11, 2005
posted by aubilenon at 6:38 PM on November 11, 2005
40 is the only number whose letters are in alphabetical order
Shiiiit.
Cool post, thank you.
posted by marxchivist at 9:15 PM on November 11, 2005
Shiiiit.
Cool post, thank you.
posted by marxchivist at 9:15 PM on November 11, 2005
42?
posted by blue_beetle at 9:20 PM on November 11, 2005
posted by blue_beetle at 9:20 PM on November 11, 2005
6232 is an amicable number.
Well shucks, I should get to know it better.
posted by Space Coyote at 10:40 PM on November 11, 2005
Well shucks, I should get to know it better.
posted by Space Coyote at 10:40 PM on November 11, 2005
"40 is the only number whose letters are in alphabetical order."
Now that's something you can use to impress people at a party.
posted by Citizen Premier at 1:01 AM on November 12, 2005
Now that's something you can use to impress people at a party.
posted by Citizen Premier at 1:01 AM on November 12, 2005
can someone explain 16?:
16 is the only number of the form xy=yx with x and y different integers.
posted by andrew cooke at 4:19 AM on November 12, 2005
16 is the only number of the form xy=yx with x and y different integers.
posted by andrew cooke at 4:19 AM on November 12, 2005
or 89 = 81 + 92?
posted by andrew cooke at 4:24 AM on November 12, 2005
posted by andrew cooke at 4:24 AM on November 12, 2005
oh, sorry, that one explained above.
posted by andrew cooke at 4:33 AM on November 12, 2005
posted by andrew cooke at 4:33 AM on November 12, 2005
wow. i am quite impressively stupid today. link should be: above
posted by andrew cooke at 4:36 AM on November 12, 2005
posted by andrew cooke at 4:36 AM on November 12, 2005
40 is the only number whose letters are in alphabetical order
Isn't it spelt "fourty" in some places?
posted by divabat at 6:49 AM on November 12, 2005
Isn't it spelt "fourty" in some places?
posted by divabat at 6:49 AM on November 12, 2005
Isn't it spelt "fourty" in some places?
Maybe, but wrongly so. The u in four goes out the window when "transformed" to forty.
posted by psychomedia at 9:42 AM on November 12, 2005
Maybe, but wrongly so. The u in four goes out the window when "transformed" to forty.
posted by psychomedia at 9:42 AM on November 12, 2005
Too lazy to see if anyone else said it already, but 1 is the lonliest number.
posted by Jesse H Christ at 4:03 PM on November 12, 2005
posted by Jesse H Christ at 4:03 PM on November 12, 2005
And now that I've actually taken time to read others' comments I see that someone already said it and I'm just boring and dumb.
posted by Jesse H Christ at 4:05 PM on November 12, 2005
posted by Jesse H Christ at 4:05 PM on November 12, 2005
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posted by Rothko at 2:15 PM on November 11, 2005