what are the prime numbers?
Prime numbers are non-negative whole numbers (integers) which do not have factors other than 1 and itself. Some prime numbers are 2,3,5,7,11,13,17,19,23,29...
The number 1 is not considered a prime.
Read more at:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Prime_number
Prime numbers are positive integers greater than 1 that have no divisors other than 1 and themselves. In other words, prime numbers cannot be divided evenly by any other number except for 1 and the number itself. Some examples of prime numbers are 2, 3, 5, 7, 11, etc. Prime numbers are important in various mathematical applications, such as cryptography and number theory.
Prime numbers are a fundamental concept in mathematics. They are positive integers (whole numbers greater than zero) that have only two distinct positive divisors: 1 and themselves. In other words, prime numbers cannot be evenly divided by any other number except 1 and the number itself.
To understand prime numbers, we can follow this step-by-step process to determine if a number is prime or not:
1. Start with a positive integer greater than 1.
2. Check if the number is divisible by any number less than itself (excluding 1). To do this, divide the number by each integer from 2 up to the square root of the number, rounded down to the nearest whole number.
3. If the number is divisible by any of these smaller integers, it is not a prime number. If it is not divisible by any of them, it is a prime number.
For example, let's take the number 7:
- We divide 7 by all integers from 2 to the square root of 7 (which is approximately 2.65, rounded down to 2).
- 7 is not divisible evenly by 2, so we continue.
- 7 is not divisible evenly by 3 or 4 either.
- 7 is not divisible evenly by 5.
- Finally, we check if 7 is divisible by 6, but it isn't.
Since 7 is not divisible by any numbers smaller than itself, it is a prime number.
Some examples of prime numbers are 2, 3, 5, 7, 11, 13, 17, and so on. The sequence of prime numbers continues infinitely.