less_retarded_wiki/one.md

# One

One (1, also a *unit*) is the first positive whole [number](number.md), signifying the existence of a single unique object we're counting.

Some facts about this number include:

- It is an [odd](odd.md) number.
- It is a positive number, whole number (integer), [real number](real_number.md), [rational number](rational_number.md) and [complex number](complex_number.md).
- It is by convention NOT a [prime number](prime_number.md), though it is only divisible by 1 and itself.
- It is a multiplicative identity, i.e. *1 * x = x* for any number *x*. Also *x / 1 = x*, *x^1 = x*, *1^x = 1* for any number *x*.
- In programming there is a very common type of [bug](bug.md) called *[off by one](off_by_one.md)* in which a boundary is either incorrectly included or excluded.
- 1 is often a convenient upper bound of many intervals, e.g. when [normalizing](normlization.md) numbers or dealing with [probabilities](probability.md).
- In computing the number and digit 1, as opposed to [0](zero.md), usually means the *true* or *on* value.
- In programming operations with 1 (similarly to [0](zero.md)) are very common and may sometimes be handled as special cases to help efficiency, for example adding or subtracting one is called incrementing and decrementing and many [assembly](assembly.md) languages have special instructions for this.
Update 2022-12-10 23:26:53 +01:00			`# One`

Update 2024-03-14 23:30:14 +01:00			`One (1, also a unit) is the first positive whole [number](number.md), signifying the existence of a single unique object we're counting.`
Update 2022-12-10 23:26:53 +01:00
			`Some facts about this number include:`

			`- It is an [odd](odd.md) number.`
			`- It is a positive number, whole number (integer), [real number](real_number.md), [rational number](rational_number.md) and [complex number](complex_number.md).`
			`- It is by convention NOT a [prime number](prime_number.md), though it is only divisible by 1 and itself.`
			`- It is a multiplicative identity, i.e. 1 x = x* for any number x. Also x / 1 = x, x^1 = x, 1^x = 1 for any number x.`
			`- In programming there is a very common type of [bug](bug.md) called [off by one](off_by_one.md) in which a boundary is either incorrectly included or excluded.`
			`- 1 is often a convenient upper bound of many intervals, e.g. when [normalizing](normlization.md) numbers or dealing with [probabilities](probability.md).`
			`- In computing the number and digit 1, as opposed to [0](zero.md), usually means the true or on value.`
			`- In programming operations with 1 (similarly to [0](zero.md)) are very common and may sometimes be handled as special cases to help efficiency, for example adding or subtracting one is called incrementing and decrementing and many [assembly](assembly.md) languages have special instructions for this.`