The Information Architects maintain a master list of the topics included in the corpus of Encyclopædia Britannica , and create and manage the relationships between them. The number 1 holds significant symbolic and mathematical importance. Culturally, it often represents unity and, in monotheistic religions, can symbolize God or the universe. Mathematically, the number 1 is considered the source of all positive whole numbers, as any other number can be created by adding 1 repeatedly. 1 2 In some philosophical systems, like Pythagoreanism, 1 was not considered a number itself because numbers imply plurality, while 1 is singular. However, it played a unique role, transforming odd numbers into even and vice versa. The fundamental theorem of arithmetic states that any integer greater than 1 can be uniquely expressed as a product of prime numbers. Various numeral systems, such as Hindu-Arabic, Roman, and Babylonian, use symbols like '1' to represent quantities. While 'number one' can also refer to one's self-interest or highest rank, its core mathematical and symbolic meaning revolves around unity and origin. 1 3 4 5 This summary is created from Britannica articles using AI . AI can make mistakes, so verify using Britannica articles. number symbolism - 1 fundamental theorem of arithmetic number symbolism Ask Britannica AI about this topic Britannica doesn't have a full article on this topic, so we've curated a list of our relevant coverage.

Middle Eastern religion / Association of religion with the arts and sciences The most perfect number was one, for by advancing from zero to one men believed they proceeded from nonexistence to existence. Moreover, all other whole numbers were regarded as multiples of one, representative of the Creator, the Prime Mover, of the universe. The Egyptians called Re “the one One”; the… Read More The most perfect number was one, for by advancing from zero to one men believed they proceeded from nonexistence to existence. Moreover, all other whole numbers were regarded as multiples of one, representative of the Creator, the Prime Mover, of the universe. The Egyptians called Re “the one One”; the… Read More The most perfect number was one, for by advancing from zero to one men believed they proceeded from nonexistence to existence. Moreover, all other whole numbers were regarded as multiples of one, representative of the Creator, the Prime Mover, of the universe. The Egyptians called Re “the one One”; the… The most perfect number was one, for by advancing from zero to one men believed they proceeded from nonexistence to existence. Moreover, all other whole numbers were regarded as multiples of one, representative of the Creator, the Prime Mover, of the universe. The Egyptians called Re “the one One”; the… number symbolism / Pythagoreanism The number 1 symbolized unity and the origin of all things, since all other numbers can be created from 1 by adding enough copies of it. For example, 7 = 1 + 1 + 1 + 1 + 1 + 1 + 1. The number… Read More The number 1 symbolized unity and the origin of all things, since all other numbers can be created from 1 by adding enough copies of it. For example, 7 = 1 + 1 + 1 + 1 + 1 + 1 + 1. The number… Read More The number 1 symbolized unity and the origin of all things, since all other numbers can be created from 1 by adding enough copies of it. For example, 7 = 1 + 1 + 1 + 1 + 1 + 1 + 1. The number… The number 1 symbolized unity and the origin of all things, since all other numbers can be created from 1 by adding enough copies of it. For example, 7 = 1 + 1 + 1 + 1 + 1 + 1 + 1. The number… number symbolism / 1 Not surprisingly, the number 1 is generally treated as a symbol of unity. Therefore, in monotheistic religions, it often symbolizes God or the universe. The Pythagoreans did not consider 1 to be a number at all because number means plurality and 1 is singular.… Read More Not surprisingly, the number 1 is generally treated as a symbol of unity. Therefore, in monotheistic religions, it often symbolizes God or the universe. The Pythagoreans did not consider 1 to be a number at all because number means plurality and 1 is singular.… Read More Not surprisingly, the number 1 is generally treated as a symbol of unity. Therefore, in monotheistic religions, it often symbolizes God or the universe. The Pythagoreans did not consider 1 to be a number at all because number means plurality and 1 is singular.… Not surprisingly, the number 1 is generally treated as a symbol of unity. Therefore, in monotheistic religions, it often symbolizes God or the universe. The Pythagoreans did not consider 1 to be a number at all because number means plurality and 1 is singular.…