is 1 a composite number or a prime number?
prime.
how do u know?
good question. That is the way I learned it, years ago. Now that I look, I am wrong, it has been redefined. Thanks for asking.
Under current definitions, 1 is neither prime nor composite.
Read this:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Composite_number
and
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Prime_number
To determine whether 1 is a composite number or a prime number, we need to understand the definitions of these terms.
1. Composite Number: A composite number is a positive integer greater than 1 that can be divided evenly (without remainder) by at least one positive integer other than 1 and itself. In other words, it has more than two distinct factors.
2. Prime Number: A prime number is a positive integer greater than 1 that has no divisors other than 1 and itself. In other words, it only has two distinct factors - 1 and the number itself.
Now, let's consider 1:
- It is a positive integer.
- However, 1 is less than 2, which is the smallest prime number.
- Also, 1 does not have any factors other than itself, as there are no positive integers other than 1 that can divide 1 evenly.
Based on these conditions, 1 does not satisfy the definition of a prime number because it has only one distinct factor. Therefore, it is not considered a prime number.
However, since 1 does not have more than two distinct factors, it also does not meet the definition of a composite number.
Hence, 1 is neither a prime number nor a composite number.