If 0 and 1 aren't prime or composite, what are they?

[ultrafilter]

I remember reading somewhere that 0 and 1 are both neither prime nor composite. So what are they?

[Schnitte]

Cecil wrote about that in his is-2-even-or-not column:
http://www.straightdope.com/mailbag/mzeroeven.html

[Schnitte]

*Originally posted by Schnitte *
**Cecil wrote about that in his is-2-even-or-not column:
http://www.straightdope.com/mailbag/mzeroeven.html **

It’s of course whether 0 is odd or even, not two. Sorry.

[sailor]

They’re just bits.

[Saltire]

*Originally posted by Schnitte *
**

*Originally posted by Schnitte *
**Cecil wrote about that in his is-2-even-or-not column:
http://www.straightdope.com/mailbag/mzeroeven.html **

It’s of course whether 0 is odd or even, not two. Sorry. **

It also wasn’t one of Cecil’s columns, but was written by SDStaff Dex. Sorry, but I couldn’t resist being a stickler.

[23skidoo]

“Ask Dr. Math” is really cool. They get math professors to answer questions that math students (and probably most of the general population) have about math. Here’s what they have to say about what to call 1 and what to call 0:

http://forum.swarthmore.edu/dr.math/problems/christy10.6.97.html

23skidoo

[ultrafilter]

*Originally posted by 23skidoo *
**“Ask Dr. Math” is really cool. They get math professors to answer questions that math students (and probably most of the general population) have about math. Here’s what they have to say about what to call 1 and what to call 0:

http://forum.swarthmore.edu/dr.math/problems/christy10.6.97.html

23skidoo **

That’s what I was looking for. Thanks.