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It used to be considered a Prime number. There are several reasons why it is normally not considered a prime number nowadays; one of them is because, if it is counted as a prime number, the factoring of numbers isn't unique.

For example, 15 = 3 x 5; that's the only way to factor 15, but if you include 1 as a possible factor, you can factor 15 as 3 x 5, 1 x 3 x 5, 1 x 1 x 3 x 5, 13 x 3 x 5, etc.

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14y ago

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Q: Why do you think mathematicians decided not to call 1 a prime number?
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