13 (number)

← 12
14 →
13
Cardinal thirteen
Ordinal 13th
(thirteenth)
Numeral system tredecimal
Factorization prime
Divisors 1, 13
Roman numeral XIII
Binary 11012
Octal 158
Duodecimal 1112
Hexadecimal D16

13 (thirteen  /θɜrˈtiːn/) is the natural number after 12 and before 14. It is the smallest number with eight letters in its name spelled out in English. It is also the first of the teens – the numbers 13 through 19 – the ages of teenagers.

In speech, the numbers 13 and 30 are often confused. When carefully enunciated, they differ in which syllable is stressed: 13 /θərˈtiːn/ ( listen) vs. 30 /ˈθɜrti/. However, in dates such as 1300 ("thirteen hundred") or when contrasting numbers in the teens, such as 13, 14, 15, the stress shifts to the first syllable: 13 /ˈθɜrtiːn/.

Strikingly similar folkloric aspects of the number 13 have been noted in various cultures around the world: one theory is that this is due to the cultures employing lunar-solar calendars (there are approximately 12.41 lunations per solar year, and hence 12 "true months" plus a smaller, and often portentous, thirteenth month). This can be witnessed, for example, in the "Twelve Days of Christmas" of Western European tradition.[1]

Contents

In mathematics

The number 13 is the sixth prime number, and the smallest emirp (prime which is a different prime when reversed).[2] It is also a Fibonacci number and one of only 3 known Wilson primes.

Since 52 + 122 = 132, (5, 12, 13) forms a Pythagorean triple.

There are 13 Archimedean solids, and a standard torus can be sliced into 13 pieces with just 3 plane cuts.[2]

List of basic calculations

Multiplication 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 50 100 1000
13 \times x 13 26 39 52 65 78 91 104 117 130 143 156 169 182 195 208 221 234 247 260 273 286 299 312 325 650 1300 13000
Exponentiation 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13
13 ^ x\, 13 169 2197 28561 371293 4826809 62748517 815730721 10604499373 137858491849 1792160394037 23298085122481 302875106592253
x ^ {13}\, 1 8192 1594323 67108864 1220703125 13060694016 96889010407 549755813888 2541865828329 10000000000000 34522712143931 106993205379072 302875106592253

In religion

Roman Catholicism

The apparitions of the Virgin of Fátima in 1917 were claimed to occur on the 13th of six consecutive months.[3]

In Catholic devotional practice, the number thirteen is also associated with Saint Anthony of Padua, since his feast day falls on June 13. A traditional devotion called the Thirteen Tuesdays of St. Anthony involves praying to the saint every Tuesday over a period of thirteen weeks. Another devotion, St. Anthony's Chaplet, consists of thirteen decades of three beads each.

Sikhism

According to famous Sakhi (Evidence) or story of Guru Nanak Dev Ji, when he was an accountant at a town of Sultanpur Lodhi, he was distributing grocery to people and when he gave groceries to the 13th person he stopped there because in Gurmukhi and Hindi the word 13 is called Terah, which means yours. And Guru Nanak Dev Ji kept on saying, "Yours, yours, yours..." remembering God. People reported to the emperor that Guru Nanak Dev Ji was giving out free food to the people. When treasures were checked, there was more money than before.

The Vaisakhi which commemorates the creation of "Khalsa" or pure Sikh was celebrated on April 13 for many years.

Judaism

Other

Lucky and unlucky

Unlucky 13

Main article: Triskaidekaphobia

The number 13 is considered to be an unlucky number in some countries.[4] It even has a specifically recognized phobia, Triskaidekaphobia, a word which was coined in 1911. The superstitious sufferers of triskaidekaphobia try to avoid bad luck by keeping away from anything numbered or labelled thirteen. As a result, companies and manufacturers use another way of numbering or labelling to avoid the number, with hotels and tall buildings being conspicuous examples (Thirteenth floor).[5] It's also considered to be unlucky to have thirteen guests at a table. Friday the 13th has been considered the unluckiest day of the month. [4]

There are a number of theories behind the cause of the association between thirteen and bad luck, but none of them have been accepted as likely.[4]

The Hangman's Noose

13 turns make a traditional hangman's noose. anything less would not snap a neck. </ref>http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hangman's_knot

The Last Supper

At Jesus Christ's last supper, there were thirteen people around the table, counting Christ and the twelve apostles.

Knights Templar

On Friday the 13th of October, 1307, King Philip IV of France ordered the arrest of the Knights Templar.[4]

Full moons

A year which contained 13 full moons instead of 12 posed problems for the monks who were in charge of the calendars. "This was considered a very unfortunate circumstance, especially by the monks who had charge of the calendar of thirteen months for that year, and it upset the regular arrangement of church festivals. For this reason thirteen came to be considered an unlucky number."[6]

However, in a typical century, there will be about 37 years which have 13 full moons compared with 63 years with 12 full moons, and typically every third or fourth year would have 13 full moons, making it a reasonably common occurrence, unlikely to tax monks any more than leap years.[7]

A repressed lunar cult

In ancient cultures, the number 13 represented femininity, because it corresponded to the number of lunar (menstrual) cycles in a year (13 x 28 = 364 days). The theory is that, as the solar calendar triumphed over the lunar, the number thirteen became anathema.[4][8]

Lucky 13

See also: Lucky 13

Several successful sports figures have worn the number 13. Ozzie Guillén, manager of the 2005 World Series Champion Chicago White Sox, has worn the number throughout his baseball career. Alex Rodriguez began wearing it upon joining the New York Yankees (three, the number he had previously worn, is retired by the Bronx Bombers to honor Babe Ruth). Dan Marino, an American football player known for passing the 2nd most yards in NFL history, wore the number 13. Basketball great Wilt Chamberlain wore the number 13 on his jersey throughout his NBA career. Also, FIBA rules require a player to wear the number in international competitions (only numbers from 4 to 15 could be worn, and as there are 12 players, one must wear 13); Chris Mullin, who wore No. 20 in college and No. 17 in the NBA, wore No. 13 for both (1984 and 1992) of his Olympic appearances. Shaquille O'Neal wore No. 13 in 1996; Tim Duncan wore No. 13 in 2004. Steve Nash is currently wearing it for the Phoenix Suns. Yao Ming wore it in the 2008 Olympics in Beijing. Mats Sundin, Pavel Datsyuk, Bill Guerin, and Michael Cammalleri wear 13 in the NHL. One of Iceland's all time best handball players, Sigurður Sveinsson, wore the number 13 when he played for the national team. In association football, both Gerd Müller and Michael Ballack have favoured the number 13, among others.

In Italy, 13 is also considered to be a lucky number, although in Campania the expression 'tredici' (meaning 13) is said when one considers their luck to have turned for the worse.

Some people even have 13 tattooed onto them to represent the lucky number.

Music

American born Horror-Punk singer and musician including acts such as Murderdolls- Joseph Poole uses the name Wednesday 13 as his stage name, taking "Wednesday" from the girl Wednesday from the Addams Family and 13 from Friday the 13th.

Taylor Swift was born on December 13. She considers 13 her lucky number and wears the number written on her hand frequently at her concerts.

The heavy metal band, Megadeth, released their 13th studio album entitled TH1RT3EN on November 1, 2011. It consists of 13 tracks including the final song "13".

Other

Colgate University also considers 13 to be a lucky number. They were founded in 1819 by 13 men with 13 dollars, 13 prayers and 13 articles.[9] (To this day, members of the Colgate community consider the number 13 a good omen.) In fact, the campus address is 13 Oak Drive in Hamilton, New York, and the male a cappella group is called the Colgate 13.

In the Mayan Tzolk'in calendar, trecenas mark cycles of 13 day periods. The pyramids are also set up in 9 steps divided into 7 days and 6 nights, 13 days total.

In a tarot card deck, XIII is the card of Death, usually picturing the Pale horse with its rider.

Coperos

The number 13 in the Coperos religion (small culture in Brazil) is like a God number. All coperos must know that this number can save humankind.

Age 13

In sports

In rugby league:

The jersey number 13 has been retired by several North American sports teams, usually in honor of past playing greats:

In Formula One, the number 13 is not used. As such, the numbering goes 11, 12, 14, 15 under the current numbering system.

In U.S. college athletics, schools that are members of NCAA Division I are allowed to provide athletic scholarships to a maximum of 13 men's basketball players in a given season.

In rugby union, the jersey number 13 is worn by one of the two starting centres, usually the outside centre but sometimes the inside centre. One notable outside centre, Ireland national team captain and Leinster star Brian O'Driscoll, has questioned the superstition behind the number in a TV advert by stating it may be an unlucky number but only in the game of Bingo and not for him. it is known as unlucky 13

In TV and films

In other fields

References

  1. ^ Frazier, King of the Bean, and the Festival of Fools. Cited in Thompson, Tok. 2002. The thirteenth number: Then, there/ here and now. 'Studia Mythological Slavica 5, 145-159.
  2. ^ a b Wells, D. The Penguin Dictionary of Curious and Interesting Numbers, London: Penguin Group. (1987): 67-71.
  3. ^ Rosemary Guiley, The Guinness Encyclopedia of Ghosts and Spirits, 1994, p. 215, ISBN 0-85112-748-7.
  4. ^ a b c d e http://urbanlegends.about.com/cs/historical/a/friday_the_13th.htm
  5. ^ Fleischman, Sid (August 19, 2007). "The 13th Floor: A Ghost Story". The Washington Post Company. http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/08/18/AR2007081800890.html. Retrieved 2008-07-26. 
  6. ^ http://www.space.com/9566-strange-story-sunday-blue-moon.html
  7. ^ http://home.hiwaay.net/~krcool/Astro/moon/fullmoonU.htm
  8. ^ Stan Gooch, Guardians of the Ancient Wisdom (1980)
  9. ^ "Colgate: History & Traditions". Colgate University. http://www.colgate.edu/DesktopDefault1.aspx?tabid=497&pgID=1200. Retrieved 2007-09-01. 
  10. ^ http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/TriangRelations