A number that cannot be broken down in this way is called a prime number. For example, the equations 24 = 4 × 6 and 33 = 3 × 11 show that 24 and 33 are composite numbers. 1Ī whole number that can be written as the product of two smaller numbers is called a composite number. With a compass and protractor as the only available instruments, division of a circle into equal sectors had great practical value.
In ancient times, dividing a circle into equal-sized sectors with high precision was necessary for various artistic, astronomical, and engineering purposes. If the circle is divided into two, three, four, ten, twelve, or thirty equal parts, each part will contain a whole number of degrees and there are additional ways of dividing a circle that we did not mention. This is also the reason why the circle was divided into 360°. In a factory that works non-stop in 8-h shifts, each day is divided into exactly three shifts. This means that a day can be divided into two equal parts of 12 h each, daytime and nighttime. For example, 24÷2 = 12, 24÷3 = 8, 24÷4 = 6, and so on (complete the rest of the options yourself!).
Have you ever wondered why the day is divided into exactly 24 h, and the circle into 360 degrees? The number 24 has an interesting property: it can be divided into whole equal parts in a relatively large number of ways. In this short paper, we will try to follow the history of prime numbers since ancient times and use this opportunity to dive into and better understand the mathematician’s world. On a small scale, the appearance of prime numbers seems random, but on a large scale there appears to be a pattern, which is still not fully understood.
What are they? Why are the questions related to them so hard? One of the most interesting things about prime numbers is their distribution among the natural numbers. We explain what they are, why their study excites mathematicians and amateurs alike, and on the way we open a window to the mathematician’s world.įrom the beginning of human history, prime numbers aroused human curiosity. Prime numbers have attracted human attention from the early days of civilization.
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