Can a prime number be a multiple of any other number except itself. explain why or why not

No, by definition a prime number is one where the only factors are 1 and itself. If some prime number is a multiple of another number, then that other number is a factor of the prime number. But that would make it composite (non-prime)

For example, the number 11 is prime. The only factors are 1 and itself. If we made the claim that 11 is a multiple of 2, then 2 would be a factor of 11 making 11 non-prime (as it doesn't just have 1 and itself as factors).

Note: If you have two numbers A and B, and you say that A is a factor of B, then A is the smaller value. Though there is the exception when A = B. For example, saying "8 is a factor of 16" has 8 being the smaller value.

Another note: if you say "A is a multiple of B", then B is larger than A. The exception is when A = B. Example: "100 is a multiple of 5"

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step-by-step explanation:

we can analyze the pattern at which the terms increase. let us denote , , , so that we can call

1 the 1st term, 3 the 2nd term, 6 the 3rd term,etc.

note the following:

from the 1st term (1) to the 2nd term (3), we go up by 2,from the 2nd term (3) to the 3rd term (6), we go up by 3from the 3rd term (6) to the 4th term (10), we go up by 4, andfrom the 4th term (10) to the 5th term (15), we go up by 5.

the pattern: to get the next term value, we just add the next term number (e.g. 1st, 2nd, to the previous term value (term values are the given numbers in the question, 1, 3, 6, 10, 15,

from , to get to , we add

from , to get to , we add

etc.

we need to form a recursive formula, a formula that has the next term as a function of the previous term. so a possible recursive formula can be

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