Talk:Sphenic number
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I object to Ams80 calling mathematical facts such as Catalan numbers and pentagonality "pointless trivia"; facts such as these are extremely relevant to articles about numbers. But I don't object to Ams80 removing those facts from this page, since those facts at least are stated in the pages on the individual numbers in question. PrimeFan 23:11, 14 Feb 2004 (UTC)
- Maybe I should clarify, I didn't mean to say, and don't believe, that concepts such as Catalan numbers and pentagonality are "pointless trivia". What I meant to say was that, for example, the fact that 105 is 12-agonal, is completely irrelevant to the topic of the page, that is why I viewed the entries as pointless trivia. I think that lists should only include information on the list elements if it is in some way relevant, for example at Trinity College, Cambridge it makes sense to me to have information about why notable alumni are notable but I wouldn't expect information completely unrelated to being an alumni listed, such as how many children they had, or where they were born. Information like that should be in the article about the person, and I feel the same way about the numbers in this article, trivia unrelated to number x being a sphenic number should be in the article about number x (if anywhere). Just my opinions -- Ams80 00:10, 15 Feb 2004 (UTC)
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- Now I understand where you're coming from and I agree with you. Thanks for clarifying. PrimeFan 17:18, 16 Feb 2004 (UTC)
Is it quite right to say "Currently, the largest known sphenic number is [...] i.e., the product of the three largest known Mersenne primes"? Would it not be better to say simply "Currently, the largest known sphenic number is [...] i.e., the product of the three largest known primes" adding, if required "(which are Mersenne primes)". Richard Pinch 21:23, 24 August 2006 (UTC)
[edit] Sphenic?
Where does the name sphenic come from? [1] gives 1,710 hits most of which are Wikipedia clones. [2] cuts this down to 109, and many of those seem to be based on Wikipedia. (sequence A007304 in OEIS) does not use the word. --Henrygb 16:52, 29 Apr 2005 (UTC)
- To be quite frank, I would love to know the precise etymology myself. I am
perhaps most to blame for this article title being used here. The source *I* had for the term is the Funk & Wagnalls Standard Dictionary (International Edition 1964).
I find it hard to believe they were copying wikipedia back in 1964, as that would create a timelike-loop somewhere along the road; but still where *they* got the term is very curious, if not odd... -- User:Cimon avaro
I'm not sure anyone really knows the answer to this question, but the term comes from Gk sphen, meaning wedge. If one looks at the Greek delta (Δ) as a possible Greek conception of a wedge, it is not hard to conceive the origin of the connotation of the number 3. Lself 07:09, 4 December 2006 (UTC)
[edit] Stub?
Is this really a stub? It seems pretty much everything that can be said has been said (unless sphenic numbers have applications I'm not aware of).
Meekohi 20:39, 1 January 2006 (UTC)
[edit] Definition unclear
Should say "three of its own distinct factors". Also if these are the only factors, we should say so as the article then implies they are: It says there are 8 factors of a sphenic number and then lists them. The definition is ambiguous. Anyway, I've "fixed" it and I hope it is correct! Paul Beardsell 10:24, 9 October 2006 (UTC)
- I am formulating the definition to simply say "the product of three distinct prime numbers". I think this is short and clear. If anyone is in doubt anyway, the next sentence says squares are not allowed.
