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> * Find three whole numbers in arithmetic progression whose product is a prime. I don't think there's an agreed upon definition of what a "whole number" is. T
by nhaehnle 14y ago
> * Find three whole numbers in arithmetic progression whose product is a prime.
I don't think there's an agreed upon definition of what a "whole number" is. Then again, if you're just looking for how someone reacts to such a question, I suppose it's fine, if a bit silly.
- ColinWright 14y agoInteresting - can you give me two possible plausible definitions of "whole number"?
- dangoldin 14y agoWikipedia has three possible definitions: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Whole_number http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Whole_number All integers, integers >= 0, integers > 0
- tzs 14y agoAccording to both Wikipedia and Mathworld, "whole number" is sometimes used for: • The positive integers • The non-negative integers • The integers
- stephencanon 14y agoThe following usage is actually fairly common: Natural numbers: strictly positive integers Whole numbers: non-negative integers
- ColinWright 14y agoI'm intrigued to learn that some people have the convention that "-3" is not a whole number.
- stephencanon 14y agoI'm much more of an applied mathematician these days, but IIRC, the usage is especially prevalent in 19th century (and earlier) number theory, most often by authors who take the "natural numbers" to be {1,2,3,...} and therefore require a name for the set {0,1,2,3,...}. I have definitely come across the usage in more modern settings as well, however.