a ‘prime’ (math) day

2017 is prime. I realize tomorrow, 7-11-17, is PRIME DAY if you are an Amazon customer. Regardless, as of today – this post – we are 191 days into 2017; there are 174 days remaining in ’17. I don’t mean prime in the sense of the best, rather prime in the math sense. 2017 is a prime number.

this wise old owl keeps the dock duck-free, or is supposed to…

2017, the number, is prime and last year’s number, 2016, wasn’t. Even numbers, except 2, aren’t prime because they are divisible by 2. Being prime doesn’t mean it’s the best. Prime is a mathematical term which means a number has only 1 and itself, as factors. 2, 3, 5, 7, 11, 13, 17, and 19 are prime numbers – in all, there are twenty-five prime numbers less than one hundred. If a has more than two factors, 1 and itself, it’s composite. 2015 and 2016 are both composite:

  • the factors of 2015 are: 5, 13, and 31; 5 x 13 x 31 = 2015
  • and the 2016’s factors are: 7, 9 (32), and 32 (25); 7 x 9 x 32 = 2016

Please, feel free to check my math. In case you were wondering, the most recent years which were prime were:

1951, 1973, 1979, 1987, 1993, 1997, 1999, 2003, 2011, 2017, and the next three are: 2027, 2029, 2039, 2053.

Mathematicians are constantly searching for new prime numbers using supercomputers to find them. Currently, the largest prime number and 274,207,281 – 1 with 22,338,618 digits, it was discovered in January 2016.

I can only guess that you are doing the eye-roll and wondering, why is this relevant? Because today, July 10, 2017 happens to be a math day, at least in the way I look at the date:

7-10-17, or 10-7-17 outside of the good ‘ole USA and it means 7 + 10 = 17.

And, so much for the math lesson. It’s all about perspective.

I am going to spend my ‘math’ day by the lake. Yesterday it rained in the afternoon and into the evening. This morning was cool, clear and calm.

yesterday evening’s storm crosses the lake

I finished my third summer book Friday night – Orbiting Jupiter by Gary D. Schmidt, it was $7.40 on Amazon and free shipping with my Prime Membership. My summer goal is six books and I hope to get further into my fourth book – Lincoln’s Grave Robbers – by Steve Sheinkin after some weeding and other chores.

It’ll be a prime day – perfect in every way. So, I’d better jump up, jump in, and seize the day. Making the Days Count, one day at a time, one day after another prime or composite – it’s all about how you see it.

What makes your day prime?

And ……..other ‘math days’ in 2017 are

  • January 16                  1 + 16 = 17
  • January 17                  1 x 17 = 17
  • February 15                 2 + 15 = 17
  • March 14                       3 + 14 = 17
    • This was also Pi Day, another mathematical day…
  • April 13                           4 + 13 = 17
  • May 12                            5 + 12 = 17
  • June 11                          6 + 11 = 17
  • Today, July 10             7 + 10 = 17
  • August 9                         8 + 9 = 17
  • September 8                9 + 8 = 17
  • October 7                    10 + 7 = 17
  • November 6               11 + 6 = 17
  • December 5                12 + 5 = 17

6 thoughts on “a ‘prime’ (math) day

  1. I did not make the prime connection with Amazon’s sale, even with the endless emails and notifications from them! Cool facts, Clay! Today I’m ignoring the prime sales (they’re like Patricia’s blah blah blah math translation to me!) and getting some creative work done. Hope your day is great!

    1. love the creative work I see on Twitter – I ignored the Prime Day sales, too. I live math and knowing the primes are helpful when figuring out least common denominators and reducing fractions in math class, and of course Jeopardy. There all sorts to figure divisibility, but I’d rather enjoy a beautiful summer morning – I hope you are, too. Have a wonderful weekend. Keep on drawing.

  2. “the factors of 2015 are: 5, 13, and 31; 5 x 13 x 31 = 2015
    and the 2016’s factors are: 7, 9 (32), and 32 (25); 7 x 9 x 32 = 2016
    Please, feel free to check my math.”

    Like I’m going to check you math. Here’s how I read that section: “the factors are blah, blah, blah, blah, blah.

    Thanks for sharing these cool facts but I’m just sticking with – today is Monday so enjoy it.

    Have a great day!!

    Patricia Rickrode
    w/a Jansen Schmidt

    1. Monday was good… the next Math Day is 8/9/17 – can’t wait. Are you getting ready for the Solar Eclipse? You should have an excellent view – it’s 8/21/17 – which has no math significance whatsoever. The factors do work… though I agree, I’d be hearing blah, blah, blah… sometimes there’s too much ‘sit and git’ – need to be up enjoying the day! Have a great day and wonderful weekend.

  3. Don’t get me started on Amazon. Undercutting independent booksellers, dreadful employers, generally looking at world domination. There. That’s got that off my chest. Thanks for the run-down on prime numbers. Interesting stuff! Enjoy the rest of your week.

    1. I subscribe to Amazon, but I didn’t take part in prime day this year, or last year. Amazon is a great place to find professional books – which are expensive – on the cheap… however, I enjoy the local independent bookseller. I never get out of the place without at least one new book., usually several. It’s a weakness of mine, books.

Thanks for visiting MtDC. How are YOU Making YOUR Days Count?