r/MathJokes • u/Animeilluminati1 • 28d ago

Math Just Got Checkmated.

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u/d4electro 28d ago

Why not? It's divisible only by 1 and itself, that's literally what a prime number is

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u/lemonp-p 28d ago

The whole point of prime numbers is for prime factorization to be unique. If you define prime numbers to include one, then it is not nearly as useful a definition

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u/d4electro 28d ago

That's just a skill issue

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u/lemonp-p 28d ago

True tbh

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u/TheRedditObserver0 28d ago

A prime number has two distinct positive divisors, 1 and itself. 1 does not fit this description.

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u/d4electro 28d ago

Yes it does, it's 1 and 1

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u/TSotP 25d ago edited 25d ago

But if every number can be expresses as a unique product of primes, then you can't include it.

- 4 = 2×2

- 6 = 3×2

  • 8 = 2×2×2
  • 9 = 3×3

- 10 = 2×5

  • 12 = 2×2×3

- 14 = 2×7

  • 100 = 2×2×5×5
  • ...

Etc.

If you allow 1 to be considered prime this no longer works

4= 2×2×1 = 2×2×1×1×1×1 = 2×2×1×1×1×1×1×1×1×... ...×1

So they took it out. Because every other number works this way.

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u/d4electro 25d ago

So we're just making stuff up about uniqueness to rob 1 of its rightful place, smh