The worlds first riddle!

Mark:

46) B
47) D
48) C
49) B
50) A

Turtlette:
Likewise.


Mark, whose bite is much worse than his bark writes, "D does NOT state that some can fly. It states that SOME "can't fly, but can sing."


Ok do ky you have convinced me. Unconditional surrender 05.11.05

Li'l Turtle, "... can he leap tall buildings with a single bound?"


I hear tell he can also walk on water. :wink:

"flushing out numerous numerists"

Ha! Ha! Where is they been hiding at?

"Did you write...Ipso fatso...?"

The problem is, I don't know the Latin for "Ipso facto" which means: "by that very fact." :wink:

"Isn't ipso fatso an Archie Bunkerism?"

'Those Were The Days...'



The task, should you accept it, is to find one unique fact that relates to an individual number.

There may be more than one fact, and all contributions are welcome to build a reference.

In case of dispute, Marks decision will be final.


For example: 0

You could say: it is the additive identity.


Now try:


1
2
3
4
5

Trickytry wrote:

"For example: 0 You could say: it is the additive identity."

<scratches head> Looks like I better practice my "What Mark said!" quote.

1) the multiplicative identity
2) the only even prime
3) the first odd prime
4) the only number with an english spelling that has the same number of letters as the number itself
5) the length of the hypotenuse of the smallest integer right triangle
6) the first perfect number (OK, I jumped the gun.)

1) Neither a prime nor compound number.
4) The first square number.

Good start people.


1 is the multiplicative identity.
2 is the only even prime.
3 is the number of spatial dimensions we live in.
4 is the smallest number of colors sufficient to color all planar maps.
5 is the number of Platonic solids.


Mark:

1) the multiplicative identity
2) the only even prime
3) the first odd prime
4) the only number with an english spelling that has the same number of letters as the number itself
5) the length of the hypotenuse of the smallest integer right triangle


Mark using some sort of psychic power (how he knew 6 was next, must remain one of life's mysteries.

6) the first perfect number (OK, I jumped the gun.)

Not quite as impressive as tall buildings. However, if it was a 72 pounder then thats also good.


6 is the smallest perfect number. (Fist/Smallest, no way am I getting involved)


Adrian:
1) Neither a prime nor compound number. nice one.

A prime number is a natural number greater than 1 that can be divided evenly only by 1 and itself. Thus the first few prime numbers are
2, 3, 5, 7, 11, 13, 17, 19, 23, 29, ...

The reason why 1 is said not to be a prime number is merely convenience. For example, if 1 was prime then the prime factorization of 6 would not be unique since 2 times 3 = 1 times 2 times 3. A number that can be written as a product of prime numbers is composite. Thus there are three types of natural numbers: primes, composites, and 1


4) The first square number.


A square number is a figurate number of the form , Sn=n2 where n is an integer.
A square number is also called a perfect square. The first few square numbers are 1, 4, 9, 16, 25, 36, 49, ...

(Sloane's A000290).

Any other points of view?



What about…yes, you guessed it:

7
8
9
10

7) the most probable outcome when two standard dice are rolled
the largest member of the only prime triple (p-2, p, p+2 are prime)
8) the first (smallest) non-trivial cube
9) the first (smallest) square of an odd prime
10) the base of the numbering system used by the vast majority of humans

7 = number of digits in a million
8 = number of edges on a square pyramid
9 = number of stitches saved
10 = number of sides on a decagon

7 is the smallest number of integer-sided rectangles that tile a rectangle so that no 2 rectangles share a common length.
8 is the largest cube in the Fibonacci sequence.
9 is the maximum number of cubes that are needed to sum to any positive integer.
10 is the base of our number system.


These answers are truly awesome. Way to go guys.


Mark:

7) the most probable outcome when two standard dice are rolled
the largest member of the only prime triple (p-2, p, p+2 are prime)

8) the first (smallest) non-trivial cube

9) the first (smallest) square of an odd prime

10) the base of the numbering system used by the vast majority of humans



A special guest appearance by;

Whim:

7 = number of digits in a million

8 = number of edges on a square pyramid

9 = number of stitches saved

10 = number of sides on a decagon


Now, for the first time of asking.


11
12
13
14
15

11 = fifth prime number
12 = number of corners on an icosahedron
13 = unlucky number
14 = Pounds in a stone
15 = Number of tiles in Sam Loyd's 14-15 puzzle

11) the smallest non-trivial (or the only two-digit) prime palindrome
12) the smallest abundant number (sum of proper divisors is greater than number)
13) the number of cards in each suit in a standard deck of playing cards

16 = digits in the hexadecimal system
17 = notes in a chromatic scale
18 = sides on a octadecagon
19 = years in a metonic cycle
20 = faces on an icosahedron

16) The only natural number that can be expressed as x^y and y^x where x and y are natural and different.

16 is the only number of the form xy=yx with x and y different integers.
17 is the number of wallpaper groups.
18 is the only number that is twice the sum of its digits.
19 is the maximum number of 4th powers needed to sum to any number.
20 is the number of rooted trees with 6 vertices.


Whim:

16 = digits in the hexadecimal system
17 = notes in a chromatic scale
18 = sides on a octadecagon
19 = years in a metonic cycle
20 = faces on an icosahedron

Way to go Whim! Unique answers.


Mark:
16) The only natural number that can be expressed as x^y and y^x where x and y are natural and different.

Nice one.


It is often said there is nothing unique about:

21
22
23
24
25

Is it true?

Can anybody explain these:

11 is the largest known multiplicative persistence.
12 is the smallest abundant number.

Add up the proper divisors (all divisors of a number except itself). There are three possible outcomes:
- If the sum is less than the original number, then the number is deficient (1+2<4, 1+2+5<10, etc.). All prime numbers are deficient because their only proper divisor is one.

- If the sum is equal to the original number, then the number is perfect (1+2+3=6, 1+2+4+7+14=28, etc.)

- If the sum is greater than the original number, then the number is abundant (1+2+3+4+6>12, 1+2+3+4+6+8+12>24, etc.).

21 = dots on a die
22 = smallest even palindroom number
23 = number of people on a grand jury
24 = number of sides on a tesseract
25 = vertebrae in a swans neck

23) the number chromosome pairs in a human

21 is the smallest number of distinct squares needed to tile a square.
22 is the number of partitions of 8.
23 is the smallest number of integer-sided boxes that tile a box so that no two boxes share a common length.
24 is the largest number divisible by all numbers less than its square root.
25 is the smallest square that can be written as a sum of 2 squares.




Whim:

21 = dots on a die (Damn, that's good)
22 = smallest even palindroom number
23 = number of people on a grand jury (I never knew that)
24 = number of sides on a tesseract (A tesseract has 16 vertices, 32 edges, and 24 two-dimensional "sides".)

25 = vertebrae in a swans neck (I will take your word for that)


Mark:

Nice answer to Whim's question.

23) the number chromosome pairs in a human


All animals have a characteristic number of chromosomes in their body cells called the diploid (or 2n) number. These occur as homologous pairs, one member of each pair having been acquired from the gamete of one of the two parents of the individual whose cells are being examined. The gametes contain the haploid number (n) of chromosomes.

Muntiacus reevesi (the Chinese muntjac, a deer) : 23 (Oh, dear, oh, dear!)


Multiplicative Persistence

Multiply all the digits of a number n by each other, repeating with the product until a single digit is obtained. The number of steps required is known as the multiplicative persistence, and the final digit obtained is called the multiplicative digital root of n.



OMG there's more!

26
27
28
29
30

27) the only 2-digit number of the form x^x
28) the second perfect number
29) the most points that can be scored in a cribbage hand