composite number
A composite number is a positive integer which has a positive divisor other than one or itself. In other words, if 0 < n is an integer and there are integers 1 < a, b < n such that n = a × b then n is composite. By definition, every integer greater than one is either a prime number or a composite number. The number one is a unit - it is neither prime nor composite. For example, the integer 14 is a composite number because it can be factored as 2 × 7.
The first 89 composite numbers are
 4, 6, 8, 9, 10, 12, 14, 15, 16, 18, 20, 21, 22, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 30, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 38, 39, 40, 42, 44, 45, 46, 48, 49, 50, 51, 52, 54, 55, 56, 57, 58, 60, 62, 63, 64, 65, 66, 68, 69, 70, 72, 74, 75, 76, 77, 78, 80, 81, 82, 84, 85, 86, 87, 88, 90, 91, 92, 93, 94, 95, 96, 98, 99, 100, 102, 104, 105, 106, 108, 110, 111, 112, 114, 115, 116, 117, 118, 119, 120.
Every composite number can be written as the product of 2 or more (not necessarily distinct) primes (Fundamental theorem of arithmetic).
Also, for all composite numbers n > 5. See also Wilson's theorem.
Kinds of composite numbers
One way to classify composite numbers is by counting the number of prime factors. A composite number with two prime factors is a semiprime or 2-almost prime (the factors need not be distinct, hence squares of primes are included). A composite number with three distinct prime factors is a sphenic number. In some applications, it is necessary to differentiate between composite numbers with an odd number of distinct prime factors and those with an even number of distinct prime factors. For the latter
(where μ is the Möbius function and x is half the total of prime factors), while for the former
Note however that for prime numbers the function also returns -1, and that . For a number n with one or more repeated prime factors, .
If all the prime factors of a number are repeated it is called a powerful number. If none of its prime factors are repeated, it is called squarefree. (All prime numbers and 1 are squarefree.)
Another way to classify composite numbers is by counting the number of divisors. All composite numbers have at least three divisors. In the case of squares of primes, those divisors are . A number n that has more divisors than any x < n is a highly composite number (though the first two such numbers are 1 and 2).
External links
Java applet: Factorization using the Elliptic Curve Method to find very large composites
Lists of composites with prime factorization (first 100, 1,000, 10,000, 100,000, and 1,000,000)
|
|
|
|
This section is sponsored by:
composite number
Fastest and Relevant composite number results
FastestINFO.com
Laptops
Find a great deal on a Laptop Computer by browsing our Laptop Computer listings.
www.LaptopComputersInfo.com
laptops
Don't just search for laptops, find results.
www.ask.com
Top Laptop Computer
Need Top Laptop Computer at Low Price? Compare &Deal Today!
1st-in-Computers.com
Laptops
Laptops Info
www.givemearticles.com
laptops
Search for laptops here.
www.aywoh.com
Laptops
Find articles, advice and resources on laptops.
www.experttopics.com
|
