Question: what is the only number cant be gotten by multiplication

Laura Bonnett answered on 21 Nov 2025:

This has caused some brain ache for me! I think I’m right in saying that the only number that cannot be achieved by multiplication in the standard arithmetic context (using positive integers) is 1. Any positive integer you choose can be represented as the product of other numbers, or, if it is composite, as a product of its prime factors. However, there are no two positive integers (other than 1 and itself) whose product is 1.

Thanks for giving me something to think about!