Three
Three (3) is the natural number following two and preceding four.
Three is the second smallest prime number, the next is five. Three is the second triangular number.
3 goes into 9 exactly 3 times, so fractions with 3 in the denominator have a single digit repeating sequences in their decimal expansions. A natural number is divisible by three if and only if its decimal digit sum is divisible by 3. The base-3 numeral system is the ternary system.
A polygon with three sides is a triangle.
Three is also the number of musicians in a trio.
Many human cultures have given the concept of three-ness symbolic meanings:
- The Holy Trinity in Christian doctrine
- The process of synthesis in Hegelian dialectic creates three-ness from two-ness
- The three Doshas (weaknesses) and their antidotes are the basis of Ayurvedic medicine, for a complete system of medicine in India
- The three Gunas underlie action, in the Vedic system of knowledge.
- The Trimurti in Hindu tradition
Decals and bumper stickers bearing the phrase "In Memory of 3" are references to NASCAR driver Dale Earnhardt.
Other uses for three:
- Three's Company
- Three of a Kind
- Three: a rock band formed by Keith Emerson, Robert Berry and Carl Palmer
- Three Kingdoms
- Three Gorges
- Three links
- Three Principles of the People
- Three Represents
- Three Years of Natural Disasters
- 3 (band)
See also: one, two, three, four, five, integer, list of numbers.
This article is about the number. For the year AD 3, see 3.
