Magic numbers
Posted: Tue Sep 18, 2012 5:25 am
Many numbers appear magical due to their great flexibility in being divisible by a good deal of other numbers. This is why the more traditional measurement systems often used them, going all the way back to the ancient Babylonians and Egyptians, amongst others. Another way to view these is to look at the prime factors that make them up. A foot is divided into 12 inches because 12 is equal to 2X2X3. This number is divisible by 6 factors: 1, 2, 3, 4, 6, and 12. The number 360 is divisible by 24 other numbers.
An easy way to create such numbers is to multiply the first four prime numbers, 2, 3, 5, and 7, by their various powers. Below is a list of some of the more common magic numbers and how to create them. The last numbers with commas are the powers that must be given to the first four primes to get the number. Thus 12 has a 2,1 because you must multiply two to the power of 2 by three to the power of 1.
2 Night and Day, AM and PM. 1
6 Hours in a quarter of a day. 1,1
30 Days in a month, degrees in a sign. 1,1,1
4 Seasons in a year, phases of the Moon. 2
12 A dozen months in a year. Inches in a foot. 2,1
60 Babylonian base. 2,1,1
180 Degrees in a triangle and semi-circle. 2,2,1
1,260 Biblical number of days. 2,2,1,1
8 Number of cross-quarter and regular seasons. 3
24 Hours in a day. 3,1 (1+2, 1)
72 Years per degree or day of a Great Year. 3,2
360 Degrees in a circle or days in a Great or Grand Year. 3,2,1
2,520 Smallest number divisible by 1 through 10. 3,2,1,1
16 Ounces in a pound. 4
48 Number of traditional constellations. 4,1
144 A gross. 4,2
2,160 Years in an astrological age. 4,3,1
25,200 Great Years in a Grand Year. 4,2,2,1
1,440 Minutes in a day. 5,2,1
2,240 Pounds in a ton. 6,0,1,1.
1,728 A great gross. 6,3
8,640 Years in a Kali Yuga in The Gnostic Circle. 6,3,1 (1+2+3, 1+2, 1)
25,920 Years in a Great Year. 6,4,1
86,400 Seconds in a day. 7,3,2
432,000 Years in a Kali Yuga. 7,3,3
1,814,400 Years in a Grand Day. 7,4,2,1
653,184,000 Years in a Grand Year. 10,6,3,1 (1+2+3+4, 1+2+3, 1+2, 1)
This divisibility has many benefits. A zodiacal circle can be divided into many different equal sized parts, for example.
An easy way to create such numbers is to multiply the first four prime numbers, 2, 3, 5, and 7, by their various powers. Below is a list of some of the more common magic numbers and how to create them. The last numbers with commas are the powers that must be given to the first four primes to get the number. Thus 12 has a 2,1 because you must multiply two to the power of 2 by three to the power of 1.
2 Night and Day, AM and PM. 1
6 Hours in a quarter of a day. 1,1
30 Days in a month, degrees in a sign. 1,1,1
4 Seasons in a year, phases of the Moon. 2
12 A dozen months in a year. Inches in a foot. 2,1
60 Babylonian base. 2,1,1
180 Degrees in a triangle and semi-circle. 2,2,1
1,260 Biblical number of days. 2,2,1,1
8 Number of cross-quarter and regular seasons. 3
24 Hours in a day. 3,1 (1+2, 1)
72 Years per degree or day of a Great Year. 3,2
360 Degrees in a circle or days in a Great or Grand Year. 3,2,1
2,520 Smallest number divisible by 1 through 10. 3,2,1,1
16 Ounces in a pound. 4
48 Number of traditional constellations. 4,1
144 A gross. 4,2
2,160 Years in an astrological age. 4,3,1
25,200 Great Years in a Grand Year. 4,2,2,1
1,440 Minutes in a day. 5,2,1
2,240 Pounds in a ton. 6,0,1,1.
1,728 A great gross. 6,3
8,640 Years in a Kali Yuga in The Gnostic Circle. 6,3,1 (1+2+3, 1+2, 1)
25,920 Years in a Great Year. 6,4,1
86,400 Seconds in a day. 7,3,2
432,000 Years in a Kali Yuga. 7,3,3
1,814,400 Years in a Grand Day. 7,4,2,1
653,184,000 Years in a Grand Year. 10,6,3,1 (1+2+3+4, 1+2+3, 1+2, 1)
This divisibility has many benefits. A zodiacal circle can be divided into many different equal sized parts, for example.