5/Historical Note
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Historical Note on $5$
The number $5$ was the number associated by the Pythagoreans with marriage, the sum of $2$, the first female number, and $3$, the first male number.
According to Plutarch, the Pythagoreans also associated $5$ with nature, on account of its automorphic property.
The number $5$ is expressed in Roman numerals as $\mathrm V$.
It has been suggested that this originates from the shape of one hand held up showing the full $5$ fingers.
Sources
- 1980: David M. Burton: Elementary Number Theory (revised ed.) ... (previous) ... (next): Chapter $1$: Some Preliminary Considerations: $1.3$ Early Number Theory
- 1986: David Wells: Curious and Interesting Numbers ... (previous) ... (next): $5$
- 1986: David Wells: Curious and Interesting Numbers ... (previous) ... (next): $50$
- 1992: George F. Simmons: Calculus Gems ... (previous) ... (next): Chapter $\text {A}.2$: Pythagoras (ca. $\text {580}$ – $\text {500}$ B.C.)
- 1997: David Wells: Curious and Interesting Numbers (2nd ed.) ... (previous) ... (next): $5$
- 1997: David Wells: Curious and Interesting Numbers (2nd ed.) ... (previous) ... (next): $50$