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Friday, July 21, 2006 

The Numerology of Birthdays

As my birthday is fast approaching, I realized that we celebrate the oddest dates in our culture as "special". Thirty. Who cares about thirty? Three decades - big deal. Me, I'm going to be twenty-eight. That is important. It is the second perfect number, and the highest perfect number I will live to see. (Twenty-eight is perfect because its factors add up to it: 1,2,4,7,14 are the factors, 1+2+4+7+14=28) The next perfect number is 496 - way outside my lifespan. Thirty, on the other hand could be a very special birthday, for it is the product of the first three prime numbers, and we all know the Theological significance of three. Its actually pretty simple to give yourself a numerology of birthdays, instead of only celebrating the decades as important, as long as you remember prime factorization. If anyone cares to comment, I will give them a free birthday numerology analysis - up until my birthday. After that, $9.95.

Disagreements

Hey, isn't six the first perfect number, instead of seven? Or is that even what you meant in the sentence in quotes? Sorry about the nitpicking, it's my besetting sin. ;)

Also, happy birthday. May you reach many more mathematically interesting numbers with all your faculties intact.

You're right, kind of. I meant to say "twenty-eight" instead of seven, I have no idea where seven came from (maybe I was thinking about the factors and the fingers took over)

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