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The moment I put an idea into writing, even the places I feel most certain about start to tremble. Here, I keep the remnants of that transformation.
3 posts Margin Notes archive

History of Mathematics · September 12, 2026 · 8 min

The Unfortunate Identity Crisis of 1

Once not even considered a number, 1 was treated as prime by some mathematicians for centuries. Then new number systems emerged and the rules of the primes’ club were rewritten. This is the story of 1’s centuries-long identity crisis.