47 (number)
47 is the natural number following 46 and followed by 48.
| Template:Numbers 40s | |
| Cardinal | forty-seven |
| Ordinal | 47th (forty-seventh) |
| Factorization | prime |
| Roman numeral | XLVII |
| Binary | 0101111 |
| Hexadecimal | 2F |
In mathematics
Forty-seven is the 15th prime number and the 8th Lucas number.
It is also a Keith number, because it recurs in a Fibonacci-like sequence started from its base 10 digits: 4, 7, 11, 18, 29, 47...
In other fields
There exists a humorous 47 society at Pomona College, California, USA which propagates the (joking) belief that the number forty-seven occurs in nature with noticeably higher frequency than other natural numbers.
Following on from this inside joke, Joe Menosky, who graduated from Pomona College in 1979 and went on to become one of the story writers of Star Trek: The Next Generation, "infected" other Star Trek writers with it, and as a result the number occurs in a subtle hidden way in almost every episode of this programme and its sequels Star Trek: Deep Space Nine and Star Trek: Voyager. According to a (joking) statement by Rick Berman (the co-creator and executive producer of several Star Trek series), "47 is 42, corrected for inflation".
Forty-seven is also:
- the atomic number of silver.
- the code for international direct dial phone calls to Norway.
- the model number of the Republic P-47 Thunderbolt WWII fighter bomber
- the number of the French department Lot-et-Garonne.
- the number of mountains in "the 47" peaks of the Adirondacks.
- the number of samurai involved the famous historical Ako vendetta; sometimes referred to as the 47 Ronin.
- the year AD 47, 47 BC, and 1947.
External Links
- "Frequently Asked Questions about 47 and The 47 Society"
- "Pomona College's Star Trek Connection"
- "The Mystique of 47" (trivia about the number 47, also part of the Pomona College website)
- "The 47 Community" (LiveJournal community to post photos and stories about the number)