31 (thirty-one) is the natural number following
30 and preceding
32. It is a prime number.
Mathematics
31 is the 11th prime number. It is a
superprime and a
self prime (after
3,
5, and
7), as no integer added up to its base 10 digits results in 31. It is the third
Mersenne prime
In mathematics, a Mersenne prime is a prime number that is one less than a power of two. That is, it is a prime number of the form for some integer . They are named after Marin Mersenne, a French Minim friar, who studied them in the early 1 ...
of the form 2
''n'' − 1,
and the eighth Mersenne prime ''exponent'', in-turn yielding the maximum positive value for a
32-bit
In computer architecture, 32-bit computing refers to computer systems with a processor, memory, and other major system components that operate on data in a maximum of 32- bit units. Compared to smaller bit widths, 32-bit computers can perform la ...
signed binary integer in
computing
Computing is any goal-oriented activity requiring, benefiting from, or creating computer, computing machinery. It includes the study and experimentation of algorithmic processes, and the development of both computer hardware, hardware and softw ...
:
2,147,483,647
The number 2147483647 is the eighth Mersenne prime, equal to 231 − 1. It is one of only four known double Mersenne primes.
The primality of this number was proven by Leonhard Euler, who reported the proof in a letter to Daniel Be ...
. After
3, it is the second Mersenne prime not to be a
double Mersenne prime, while the 31st prime number (
127) is the second double Mersenne prime, following
7. On the other hand, the thirty-first
triangular number
A triangular number or triangle number counts objects arranged in an equilateral triangle. Triangular numbers are a type of figurate number, other examples being square numbers and cube numbers. The th triangular number is the number of dots in ...
is the
perfect number
In number theory, a perfect number is a positive integer that is equal to the sum of its positive proper divisors, that is, divisors excluding the number itself. For instance, 6 has proper divisors 1, 2 and 3, and 1 + 2 + 3 = 6, so 6 is a perfec ...
496, of the form 2
(5 − 1)(2
5 − 1) by the
Euclid-Euler theorem. 31 is also a ''
primorial prime
In mathematics, a primorial prime is a prime number of the form ''pn''# ± 1, where ''pn''# is the primorial of ''pn'' (i.e. the product of the first ''n'' primes).
Primality tests show that:
: ''pn''# − 1 is prime for ...
'' like its
twin prime
A twin prime is a prime number that is either 2 less or 2 more than another prime number—for example, either member of the twin prime pair or In other words, a twin prime is a prime that has a prime gap of two. Sometimes the term ''twin prime' ...
(
29),
as well as both a
lucky prime and a
happy number
In number theory, a happy number is a number which eventually reaches 1 when the number is replaced by the sum of the square of each digit. For instance, 13 is a happy number because 1^2+3^2=10, and 1^2+0^2=1. On the other hand, 4 is not a happy ...
like its dual
permutable prime
A permutable prime, also known as anagrammatic prime, is a prime number which, in a given radix, base, can have its digits' positions switched through any permutation and still be a prime number. H. E. Richert, who is supposedly the first to stu ...
in
decimal
The decimal numeral system (also called the base-ten positional numeral system and denary or decanary) is the standard system for denoting integer and non-integer numbers. It is the extension to non-integer numbers (''decimal fractions'') of th ...
(
13).
31 is the number of
regular polygon
In Euclidean geometry, a regular polygon is a polygon that is Equiangular polygon, direct equiangular (all angles are equal in measure) and Equilateral polygon, equilateral (all sides have the same length). Regular polygons may be either ''convex ...
s with an odd number of sides that are known to be
constructible with compass and straightedge, from combinations of known
Fermat prime
In mathematics, a Fermat number, named after Pierre de Fermat (1601–1665), the first known to have studied them, is a positive integer of the form:F_ = 2^ + 1, where ''n'' is a non-negative integer. The first few Fermat numbers are: 3, 5, ...
s of the form 2
2''n'' + 1 (they are
3,
5,
17,
257
__NOTOC__
Year 257 (Roman numerals, CCLVII) was a common year starting on Thursday of the Julian calendar. At the time, it was known as the Year of the Consulship of Valerianus and Gallienus (or, less frequently, year 1010 ''Ab urbe condita'') ...
and
65537
65537 is the integer after 65536 and before 65538.
In mathematics
65537 is the largest known prime number of the form 2^ +1 (n = 4), and is most likely the last one. Therefore, a regular polygon with 65537 sides is constructible with compass ...
).

Only two numbers have a
sum-of-divisors equal to 31:
16 (1 + 2 + 4 + 8 + 16) and
25 (1 + 5 + 25), respectively the
square
In geometry, a square is a regular polygon, regular quadrilateral. It has four straight sides of equal length and four equal angles. Squares are special cases of rectangles, which have four equal angles, and of rhombuses, which have four equal si ...
of
4, and of
5. In total, only thirty-one integers are not the sum of distinct squares (31 is the sixteenth such number, where the largest is
124).
31 is the 11th and final consecutive
supersingular prime. After 31, the only supersingular primes are
41,
47,
59, and
71.
31 is the first prime
centered pentagonal number
In mathematics, a centered pentagonal number is a centered polygonal number, centered figurate number that represents a pentagon with a dot in the center and all other dots surrounding the center in successive pentagonal layers. The centered p ...
, the fifth
centered triangular number
A centered (or centred) triangular number is a centered figurate number that represents an equilateral triangle with a dot in the center and all its other dots surrounding the center in successive equilateral triangular layers.
This is also t ...
, and the first non-trivial
centered decagonal number.
For the
Steiner tree problem
In combinatorial mathematics, the Steiner tree problem, or minimum Steiner tree problem, named after Jakob Steiner, is an umbrella term for a class of problems in combinatorial optimization. While Steiner tree problems may be formulated in a ...
, 31 is the number of possible Steiner topologies for Steiner trees with 4 terminals.
At 31, the
Mertens function
In number theory, the Mertens function is defined for all positive integers ''n'' as
: M(n) = \sum_^n \mu(k),
where \mu(k) is the Möbius function. The function is named in honour of Franz Mertens. This definition can be extended to positive r ...
sets a new low of −4, a value which is not subceded until
110
110 may refer to:
*110 (number), natural number
*AD 110, a year
*110 BC, a year
*110 film, a cartridge-based film format used in still photography
* 110 (MBTA bus), Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority bus route
*110 (song), 2019 song by Cap ...
.
31 is a
repdigit
In recreational mathematics, a repdigit or sometimes monodigit is a natural number composed of repeated instances of the same digit in a positional number system (often implicitly decimal). The word is a portmanteau of "repeated" and "digit".
Ex ...
in base 2 (11111) and in base 5 (111).
The cube root of 31 is the value of
correct to four significant figures:
:
The thirty-first digit in the
fractional part
The fractional part or decimal part of a non‐negative real number x is the excess beyond that number's integer part. The latter is defined as the largest integer not greater than , called ''floor'' of or \lfloor x\rfloor. Then, the fractional ...
of the
decimal expansion
A decimal representation of a non-negative real number is its expression as a sequence of symbols consisting of decimal digits traditionally written with a single separator:
r = b_k b_\cdots b_0.a_1a_2\cdots
Here is the decimal separator ...
for pi in
base-10
The decimal numeral system (also called the base-ten positional numeral system and denary or decanary) is the standard system for denoting integer and non-integer numbers. It is the extension to non-integer numbers (''decimal fractions'') of the ...
is the last consecutive non-zero digit represented, starting from the beginning of the expansion (i.e, the thirty-second single-digit string is the first
); the
partial sum
In mathematics, a series is, roughly speaking, an addition of infinitely many terms, one after the other. The study of series is a major part of calculus and its generalization, mathematical analysis. Series are used in most areas of mathemati ...
of digits up to this point is
31 is also the prime partial sum of digits of the decimal expansion of pi after the eighth digit.
The first five
Euclid number
In mathematics, Euclid numbers are integers of the form , where ''p'n'' # is the ''n''th primorial, i.e. the product of the first ''n'' prime numbers. They are named after the ancient Greek mathematician Euclid, in connection with Euclid ...
s of the form ''p
1'' × ''p
2'' × ''p
3'' × ... × ''p
n'' + 1 (with ''p
n'' the ''n''th prime) are prime:
*
3 = 2 + 1
*
7 = 2 × 3 + 1
* 31 = 2 × 3 ×
5 + 1
*
211
Year 211 ( CCXI) was a common year starting on Tuesday of the Julian calendar. At the time, in the Roman Empire it was known as the Year of the Consulship of Terentius and Bassus (or, less frequently, year 964 ''Ab urbe condita''). The denomin ...
= 2 × 3 × 5 × 7 + 1 and
*
2311 = 2 × 3 × 5 × 7 ×
11 + 1
The following term, 30031 =
59 ×
509
__NOTOC__
Year 509 (DIX) was a common year starting on Thursday of the Julian calendar. At the time, it was known as the Year of the Consulship of Inportunus without colleague (or, less frequently, year 1262 ''Ab urbe condita''). The denomina ...
= 2 × 3 × 5 × 7 × 11 ×
13 + 1, is
composite
Composite or compositing may refer to:
Materials
* Composite material, a material that is made from several different substances
** Metal matrix composite, composed of metal and other parts
** Cermet, a composite of ceramic and metallic material ...
. The next prime number of this form has a largest prime ''p'' of 31: 2 × 3 × 5 × 7 × 11 × 13 × ... × 31 + 1 ≈ 8.2 × 10
33.
While 13 and 31 in base-ten are the proper first duo of two-digit permutable primes and
emirp
An emirp (an anadrome of ''prime'') is a prime number that results in a different prime when its decimal digits are reversed. This definition excludes the related palindromic primes. The term ''reversible prime'' is used to mean the same as emirp, ...
s with distinct digits in base ten, 11 is the only two-digit permutable prime that is its own permutable prime.
Meanwhile 13
10 in
ternary is 111
3 and 31
10 in
quinary
Quinary (base 5 or pental) is a numeral system with five as the base. A possible origination of a quinary system is that there are five digits on either hand.
In the quinary place system, five numerals, from 0 to 4, are used to represent any ...
is 111
5, with 13
10 in
quaternary
The Quaternary ( ) is the current and most recent of the three periods of the Cenozoic Era in the geologic time scale of the International Commission on Stratigraphy (ICS), as well as the current and most recent of the twelve periods of the ...
represented as 31
4 and 31
10 as 133
4 (their mirror permutations 331
4 and 13
4, equivalent to
61 and
7 in decimal, respectively, are also prime). (11, 13) form the third
twin prime
A twin prime is a prime number that is either 2 less or 2 more than another prime number—for example, either member of the twin prime pair or In other words, a twin prime is a prime that has a prime gap of two. Sometimes the term ''twin prime' ...
pair
between the fifth and sixth prime numbers whose indices add to 11, itself the prime
index
Index (: indexes or indices) may refer to:
Arts, entertainment, and media Fictional entities
* Index (''A Certain Magical Index''), a character in the light novel series ''A Certain Magical Index''
* The Index, an item on the Halo Array in the ...
of 31.
Where 31 is the prime index of the fourth
Mersenne prime
In mathematics, a Mersenne prime is a prime number that is one less than a power of two. That is, it is a prime number of the form for some integer . They are named after Marin Mersenne, a French Minim friar, who studied them in the early 1 ...
,
the first three Mersenne primes (
3,
7, 31) sum to the thirteenth prime number,
41.
13 and 31 are also the smallest values to reach record lows in the
Mertens function
In number theory, the Mertens function is defined for all positive integers ''n'' as
: M(n) = \sum_^n \mu(k),
where \mu(k) is the Möbius function. The function is named in honour of Franz Mertens. This definition can be extended to positive r ...
, of −3 and −4 respectively.
The numbers 31, 331, 3331, , , , and are all prime. For a time it was thought that every number of the form 3
w1 would be prime. However, the next nine numbers of the sequence are composite; their
factorisation
In mathematics, factorization (or factorisation, see American and British English spelling differences#-ise, -ize (-isation, -ization), English spelling differences) or factoring consists of writing a number or another mathematical object as a p ...
s are:
* =
17 ×
* = 673 ×
* = 307 ×
* =
19 ×
83 ×
* = 523 × 3049 ×
* = 607 × 1511 × 1997 ×
* =
181
Year 181 ( CLXXXI) was a common year starting on Sunday of the Julian calendar. At the time, it was known as the Year of the Consulship of Aurelius and Burrus (or, less frequently, year 934 ''Ab urbe condita''). The denomination 181 for this ye ...
×
* =
199
Year 199 ( CXCIX) was a common year starting on Monday of the Julian calendar. At the time, it was sometimes known as year 952 ''Ab urbe condita''. The denomination 199 for this year has been used since the early medieval period, when the Anno ...
× and
* = 31 × 1499 × .
The next term (3
171) is prime, and the recurrence of the factor 31 in the last composite member of the sequence above can be used to prove that no sequence of the type R
wE or ER
w can consist only of primes, because every prime in the sequence will periodically divide further numbers.
31 is the maximum number of
area
Area is the measure of a region's size on a surface. The area of a plane region or ''plane area'' refers to the area of a shape or planar lamina, while '' surface area'' refers to the area of an open surface or the boundary of a three-di ...
s inside a
circle
A circle is a shape consisting of all point (geometry), points in a plane (mathematics), plane that are at a given distance from a given point, the Centre (geometry), centre. The distance between any point of the circle and the centre is cal ...
created from the edges and diagonals of an
inscribed
An inscribed triangle of a circle
In geometry, an inscribed planar shape or solid is one that is enclosed by and "fits snugly" inside another geometric shape or solid. To say that "figure F is inscribed in figure G" means precisely the same th ...
six-sided
polygon
In geometry, a polygon () is a plane figure made up of line segments connected to form a closed polygonal chain.
The segments of a closed polygonal chain are called its '' edges'' or ''sides''. The points where two edges meet are the polygon ...
, per
Moser's circle problem
file:circle_division_by_chords.svg, The number of and for first 6 terms of Moser's circle problem
In geometry, the problem of dividing a circle into areas by means of an inscribed polygon with ''n'' sides in such a way as to ''maximise'' the num ...
. It is also equal to the sum of the maximum number of areas generated by the first five ''n''-sided polygons: 1, 2, 4, 8, 16, and as such, 31 is the first member that diverges from twice the value of its previous member in the sequence, by 1.
Icosahedral symmetry
In mathematics, and especially in geometry, an object has icosahedral symmetry if it has the same symmetries as a regular icosahedron. Examples of other polyhedra with icosahedral symmetry include the regular dodecahedron (the dual polyhedr ...
contains a total of thirty-one
axes of symmetry; six five-fold, ten three-fold, and fifteen two-fold.
In other fields
31 equal temperament
In music, 31 equal temperament, which can also be abbreviated (31 tone ) or (equal division of the octave), also known as tricesimoprimal, is the tempered scale derived by dividing the octave into 31 equally-proportioned steps (e ...
is a popular
microtonal
Microtonality is the use in music of microtones — intervals smaller than a semitone, also called "microintervals". It may also be extended to include any music using intervals not found in the customary Western tuning of twelve equal interv ...
tuning for musical instruments because it provides a good approximation of harmonic intervals.
January
January is the first month of the year in the Julian calendar, Julian and Gregorian calendars. Its length is 31 days. The first day of the month is known as New Year's Day. It is, on average, the coldest month of the year within most of the No ...
,
March
March is the third month of the year in both the Julian and Gregorian calendars. Its length is 31 days. In the Northern Hemisphere, the meteorological beginning of spring occurs on the first day of March. The March equinox on the 20 or 2 ...
,
May
May is the fifth month of the year in the Julian and Gregorian calendars. Its length is 31 days.
May is a month of spring in the Northern Hemisphere, and autumn in the Southern Hemisphere. Therefore, May in the Southern Hemisphere is the ...
,
July
July is the seventh month of the year in the Julian calendar, Julian and Gregorian calendars. Its length is 31 days. It was named by the Roman Senate in honour of Roman general Julius Caesar in 44 B.C., being the month of his birth. Before the ...
,
August
August is the eighth month of the year in the Julian and Gregorian calendars. Its length is 31 days.
In the Southern Hemisphere, August is the seasonal equivalent of February in the Northern Hemisphere. In the Northern Hemisphere, August ...
,
October
October is the tenth month of the year in the Julian and Gregorian calendars. Its length is 31 days. The eighth month in the old calendar of Romulus , October retained its name (from Latin and Greek ''ôctō'' meaning "eight") after Januar ...
and
December
December is the twelfth and final month of the year in the Julian and Gregorian calendars. Its length is 31 days.
December's name derives from the Latin word ''decem'' (meaning ten) because it was originally the tenth month of the year in t ...
have 31 days.
Thirty-one is also a slang term for
masturbation
Masturbation is a form of autoeroticism in which a person Sexual stimulation, sexually stimulates their own Sex organ, genitals for sexual arousal or other sexual pleasure, usually to the point of orgasm. Stimulation may involve the use of han ...
in
Turkish.
California
California () is a U.S. state, state in the Western United States that lies on the West Coast of the United States, Pacific Coast. It borders Oregon to the north, Nevada and Arizona to the east, and shares Mexico–United States border, an ...
was the 31st state to join the
United States
The United States of America (USA), also known as the United States (U.S.) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It is a federal republic of 50 U.S. state, states and a federal capital district, Washington, D.C. The 48 ...
.
31 is the international calling code for
the Netherlands
, Terminology of the Low Countries, informally Holland, is a country in Northwestern Europe, with Caribbean Netherlands, overseas territories in the Caribbean. It is the largest of the four constituent countries of the Kingdom of the Nether ...
.
Notes
References
External links
Prime Curios! 31from the
Prime Pages
The PrimePages is a website about prime number
A prime number (or a prime) is a natural number greater than 1 that is not a Product (mathematics), product of two smaller natural numbers. A natural number greater than 1 that is not prime is ...
{{Integers, zero
Integers