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composite number
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(Definition)
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A composite number is a positive integer which is not prime and not equal to 1. That is, $n$ is composite if $n = ab$ with $a$ and $b$ natural numbers both not equal to 1.
- 1 is not composite (and also not prime), by definition.
- 2 is not composite, as it is prime.
- 15 is composite, since $15 = 3\cdot 5$
- 93555 is composite, since $93555 = 3^5\cdot 5 \cdot 7 \cdot 11$
- 52223 is not composite, since it is prime.
More generally, we can define compositeness any time there is an ambient notion of an irreducible element. In an integral domain, for example, an element is said to be composite if it neither zero, a unit, nor irreducible.
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"composite number" is owned by mathcam. [ full author list (2) | owner history (1) ]
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Cross-references: irreducible, unit, integral domain, irreducible element, natural numbers, prime, integer, positive
There are 94 references to this entry.
This is version 6 of composite number, born on 2002-05-23, modified 2004-09-10.
Object id is 2929, canonical name is CompositeNumber.
Accessed 26193 times total.
Classification:
| AMS MSC: | 11A41 (Number theory :: Elementary number theory :: Primes) |
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Pending Errata and Addenda
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