What is so interesting about 13?
Leaving aside the superstitions views, let us see how fascinating the number 13 from mathematical point of view is.
Reverse of the square of 13 is the same as the square of the reverse of 13 i.e. 132= 169; on reversing 169, we get 961 which is the same as the square of reverse of 13 i.e. 312 = 961.
13 x 13 = 169
31 x 31 = 961
Number 13 is the smallest prime number which can be expressed as the sum of the squares of two prime numbers i.e.
13 = 22 + 32
Where 2, 3, 13 are prime numbers.
From number 13 if we subtract the sum of its digits, we get a perfect square i.e.
13 - (1 + 3) = 9 = 32
Also if the product of digits of 13 is added to it, we again a perfect square i.e.
13 + (1 x 3) = 16 = 42
Consider the equations:
132= 169
312= 961
If we insert the + sign between all the digits of above equation, the equation still holds good i.e.
(1+3)2 = 1+6 +9
(3+1)2 = 9 +6+1
The smallest number whose sum of digits is 13 is a perfect square i.e. 49 = 72 and 4 + 9 = 13.
The smallest square which contains last three digits alike is 1444. The sum of digits of this number is also 13 i.e.
1+4+ 4+ 4 = 13
If we place the number 13 before its reverse i.e. 31 we get the number 1331 which is a cubic number i.e. 1331= 113
If we take the cube of number 13 i.e. 133 = 2197 and rearrange the digits of the cube 2197 we get the famous Ramanujan's number 1729.
13 is the average number of the prime factors of the famous Ramanujan's number 1729. i.e.
1729 = 7 x 13 x 19
(7 + 13 + 19) ÷ 3 =13
Take the square of the number 13 i.e. 132 = 169. Now we see that 169 contains many perfect squares in it:
The sum of the digits of the number 169 is a perfect squares and is the square of the sum of the digits of the original number i.e.
1+6+9 = 16 = 42 =(1+3)2
Divide the number in two blocks i.e. 16 and 9. We see that both are perfect square numbers and their sum and product is a perfect square:
16 + 9 = 25 = 52
16 x 9 = 144 = 122
The number 169 which is perfect square can be expressed as sum of two square i.e.
169 = 132 = 52 + 122
The number 169 can be expressed by number of its two block i.e. 16 and 9 which are perfect squares as follows:
169 = (16 + 9) + (16 x 9)
Sum of the numbers from 1 to 13 gives 91 which is the smallest number which can be expressed as the sum of two cubes and also as the difference of two cubes i.e.
91 = 33 + 43
91 = 63 - 53
The reciprocal of number 13 gives