Two
Two (2) is the natural number following one and preceding three.
Two is the smallest and the first prime number, and the only even one, the next is three.
An integer is called even if it is divisible by 2, ie. <math> x\equiv 0 \mod 2 </math> if x is even.
Two is also a highly composite number. The next highly composite number is four.
2 is a factor of 10, so fractions with 2 in the denominator do not yield infinite decimal expansions, as is the case with most primes.
For any number x:
- x+x = 2·x
- x·x = x2
The smallest field has two elements.
Two is the base of the simplest numeral system in which natural numbers can be written concisely, the binary system widely used in computers.
In names of translation software, infix 2 often represents the word "to" with the connotation "translate to", as in dvi2ps[?] (DVI to PostScript), int2string[?] (integer to string) and texi2roff[?] (Texinfo[?] to troff).
Many human cultures have given the concept of two-ness symbolic meanings:
- Two candles are lit on Finnish Independence Day. Putting them on the windowsill invokes the symbolical meaning of division, and thus independence.
- The yin-yang symbol in Chinese culture
- Two, or deuce, is the lowest number in a deck of cards (if you are playing with the ace high).
- The process of antithesis in Hegelian dialectic creates two-ness from one-ness
- In the philosophy of Pythagoras, the dyad[?] is the second thing created (see the article monad for more on this)
- See dualism for a discussion of several other kinds of two-ness
Two is a good number in Chinese culture. There is a Chinese saying "good things come in pairs". It is common to use double symbols in product brandnames, e.g. double happiness, double coin, double elephants etc. Cantonese people like the number two because it sounds the same as the word "easy" (易) in Cantonese.
Two is also:
- the number of musicians in a duet.
The section about '2' in the meaning of 'to' contains material from FOLDOC's article on Two (http://foldoc.doc.ic.ac.uk/foldoc/foldoc.cgi?2), used with permission.
This article is about the number. For the year, see 2. For some fictional characters, see Number Two.
Middlemas assisted the Begum
platform of marble. The rest of the retinue of the Begum followed in
symptom of woman being in her train, except that a close litter, guarded
distance in a thicket of flowering shrubs.
When Tippoo Saib, through the dim haze which hung over the Waterfall,
musnud, so as to receive her near the foot of his throne, and exchanged
their mutual health. He then conducted her to the cushion placed near to
accommodating those of the Begum with places upon the carpets around,
conspicuous situation.
The people of inferior note stood behind, and amongst them was the
impossible to describe the feelings with which Hartley recognized the
worked up his resolution to make an appeal against them in full Durbar,
complain of injuries. In the meanwhile, the Prince, who had hitherto
service.html">service.html">service and the fidelity of the Begum, now gave the sign to his
these services, the mighty Prince, at the request of the mighty Begum,
Giamschid, had decreed to take into his service the Bukshee of her
keeping of his beloved capital of Bangalore."
The voice of the crier had scarce ceased, when it was answered by one as
maketh the robber Leik his treasurer, or trusteth the lives of Moslemah
Hartley traced the speech to the elder Fakir, the companion of Barak.
some mad devotee, to whom the Moslem princes permit great freedoms. The
proclamation, united in the shout of applause which is expected to
himself before the musnud, and, in a set speech, declared his
for the Prince's service. Something remained to be added, but his.
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