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42 (number)

42 is the natural number following 41 and followed by 43.

List of numbers — Integers << 40 41 42 43 44 45 46 47 48 49 >>
Cardinal	forty-two
Ordinal	42nd (forty-second)
Factorization	<math>2 \cdot 3 \cdot 7<math>
Divisors	2, 3, 6, 7, 14, 21
Roman numeral	XLII
Binary	101010
Hexadecimal	2A

In mathematics

This composite number's factorization makes it a sphenic number. It is also the third 15-gonal number, a Catalan number, a meandric number, an open meandric number, a Harshad number and a self number. It is bracketed by twin primes.

In other fields

Forty-two is also:

• The atomic number of molybdenum.
• The answer to the Ultimate Question of Life, the Universe and Everything, according to Douglas Adams' book The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy. However, the unanswered quandary was then: What was the question, exactly?
• For this very reason the number is sometimes used in connection with computers; for instance it is used as an identifier at the beginning of every TIFF-file.
• The sum of the numbers or spots on a pair of conventional (six-sided) dice.
• In Lewis Carroll's book The Hunting of the Snark, (before Douglas Adams' tome was written) the baker left 42 pieces of luggage on the pier.
• The number of men of Beth-azmaveth in the Census of men of Israel upon return from exile. (Holy Bible, Ezra 2:24)
• The number of months the Beast will hold dominion over the Earth. (Holy Bible, Revelation 13:5)
• The number of generations recorded between Abraham and Jesus in the Gospel of Matthew. (Holy Bible, Matthew 1:17)
• The maximum total number received of any one present in the song The Twelve Days of Christmas.
• The number of the French department Loire.
• Part of the name of:
  • 42 BELOW, a vodka produced in New Zealand.
  • Level 42, the name of a band (named after the Hitchhikers usage).
• The name of a trick-taking game played with dominoes.
• The year A.D. 42, 42 BC, and 1942.
• The Messier number of the Orion nebula (M42).
• The shirt number of Jackie Robinson, which is retired by all Major League Baseball teams.
• The number of distinct types of cheese requested in Monty Python's Cheese Shop sketch.
• Greg Dean often uses 42 in his webcomic Real Life as a Hitchhiker's reference.