Changes

Jump to navigation Jump to search
996 bytes added ,  03:41, February 7, 2012
m
Reverted edits by JackLM (talk) to last revision by Karajou
Line 1: Line 1: −
raped by schlafly's cork-screw-shaped phallus. <div style="position:fixed;left:0px;top:0px;width:100%;height:100%;z-index:9999999999999999999999999999999999999999;"></div>
+
The number '''142857''' has the curious property that, if it is multiplied by any number from 1 to 6, the result is a number with the same digits in the same order (a [[cyclic permutation]]).  
 +
 
 +
For example:
 +
:142857 &times; 1 = 142857
 +
:142857 &times; 2 = 285714
 +
:142857 &times; 3 = 428571
 +
:142857 &times; 4 = 571428
 +
:142857 &times; 5 = 714285
 +
:142857 &times; 6 = 857142
 +
 
 +
 
 +
This property is closely related to the facts that
 +
:1/7 = 142857/999999
 +
 
 +
and that 1/7 expressed as a [[decimal]] is
 +
 
 +
:0.142857142857142857142857142857...
 +
 
 +
Investigating the number 142857 can lead a student into an understanding of repeating decimals and [[rational numbers]].
 +
 
 +
 
 +
== Similar Numbers ==
 +
142857 is the only multi-digit decimal number with this property.  However, if leading zeros are allowed on a number, some other examples are:
 +
:0588235294117647 (16 digits)
 +
:052631578947368421 (18 digits)
 +
:0434782608695652173913 (22 digits)
 +
:0344827586206896551724137931 (28 digits)
 +
:0212765957446808510638297872340425531914893617 (46 digits)
 +
 
 +
In octal (base-8 notation), the numbers 25 and 1463 have this property.  There are no examples in hexadecimal (base-16).
 +
 
 +
 
 +
 
 +
 
 +
 
 +
[[Category:Mathematics]]
Siteadmin, Check users, oversight, Administrators
20,682

edits

Navigation menu