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Questions and Answers
Who is credited with making the first explicit statement of the Fundamental Theorem of Arithmetic?
Who is credited with making the first explicit statement of the Fundamental Theorem of Arithmetic?
Which of the following is an application of the Fundamental Theorem of Arithmetic?
Which of the following is an application of the Fundamental Theorem of Arithmetic?
Which of the following statements best describes the Fundamental Theorem of Arithmetic?
Which of the following statements best describes the Fundamental Theorem of Arithmetic?
Which mathematician provided an important proof of the Fundamental Theorem of Arithmetic using modular arithmetic?
Which mathematician provided an important proof of the Fundamental Theorem of Arithmetic using modular arithmetic?
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What is the convention for representing positive integers in the canonical representation?
What is the convention for representing positive integers in the canonical representation?
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Which of the following statements about the Fundamental Theorem of Arithmetic is true?
Which of the following statements about the Fundamental Theorem of Arithmetic is true?
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If event A represents 'rolling an even number' on a fair six-sided die, what is the complement of event A?
If event A represents 'rolling an even number' on a fair six-sided die, what is the complement of event A?
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What is a sample space in probability theory?
What is a sample space in probability theory?
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If P(A) = 0.3 and P(B) = 0.4, and events A and B are disjoint, what is P(A ∪ B)?
If P(A) = 0.3 and P(B) = 0.4, and events A and B are disjoint, what is P(A ∪ B)?
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What is the range of values that a probability measure can take?
What is the range of values that a probability measure can take?
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If the probability of an event A is 0.8, what is the probability of its complement?
If the probability of an event A is 0.8, what is the probability of its complement?
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What property of probability allows us to calculate the probability of the union of two disjoint events?
What property of probability allows us to calculate the probability of the union of two disjoint events?
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Study Notes
The Fundamental Theorem of Arithmetic, also known as the Unique Factorization Theorem or Prime Factorization Theorem, is a central concept in number theory. It states that every positive integer greater than 1 can be represented in exactly one way as a product of prime powers, where the primes are distinct and the exponents are positive integers. This means that each composite number can be uniquely decomposed into a product of primes, up to permutation of the primes and their exponents.
Euclid was the first to take the initial steps towards understanding prime factorization, but it was Kamāl al-Dīn al-Fārisī who made the first explicit statement of the fundamental theorem of arithmetic. Later, Carl Friedrich Gauss provided an important proof employing modular arithmetic in his work "Disquisitiones Arithmeticae".
One of the applications of the fundamental theorem of arithmetic is the canonical representation of a positive integer. Every positive integer greater than 1 can be represented as the product of prime powers, which is called the canonical representation. This representation is unique and extends to all positive integers by convention.
Despite the simplicity and elegance of the fundamental theorem of arithmetic, it is not always obvious why it holds true. There are various ways to prove the theorem, including using properties of prime numbers and demonstrating the uniqueness property through the use of lemmas.
Studying the fundamental theorem of arithmetic provides insights into the nature of prime factorization and helps in developing an intuitive understanding of mathematical structures.
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Description
Explore the central concept of number theory with the Fundamental Theorem of Arithmetic, which states that every positive integer greater than 1 can be uniquely represented as a product of prime powers. Learn about the history behind this theorem and its applications, including canonical representations of positive integers.