Essays

What Can Be Said about the Number 13 beyond the Fact that It Is a Prime Number?

Lionello Pogliani ; Dipartimento di Chimica, Universitá della Calabria, 879030 Rende (CS), Italy
Milan Randić ; Department of Mathematics and Computer Science, Drake University, Des Moines, Iowa 50311, USA
Nenad Trinajstić ; The Rugjer Bošković Institute, P.O. Box 180, HR-10002 Zagreb, Croatia

Abstract

The story of the number 13 that goes back to ancient Egypt is told. The mathematical significance of 13 is briefly reviewed and 13 is discussed in various contexts, with special reference to the belief of many that this number is a rather unlucky number. Contrary examples are also presented. Regarding everything, the number 13 appears to be a number that leaves no one indifferent.

Keywords

art; chemistry; history; literature; number theory; poetry; science

Hrčak ID:

102742

URI

https://hrcak.srce.hr/102742

Publication date:

25.10.2004.

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