Why isn't 1 considered a prime number? I've attempted to look this up, but all the explanations are quite confusing. Can anyone help simplify the reasoning?

Question

amistre64 · Answer

what reasonings have you come across?

anonymous · Answer

1 is ignored in prime number list because 1 goes with everything

anonymous · Answer

Here is a website that i came across: http://mathforum.org/library/drmath/view/57058.html It is basically a bunch of nonsense that never really fully answers the question in a direct way. I could be overthinking it. I was just taught that a prime is a number that only has factors of itself and one. Well, 1 * 1=1, so there is my confusion.

myininaya · Answer

prime numbers are numbers that have factors 1 and itself, but 1 only has one unique factor which is 1

anonymous · Answer

So, it's not really a mathematical concept or anything...just a definition thing? Well, that was a waste of everyone's time. Thanks though!

anonymous · Answer

A prime number MUST have exactly TWO distinct divisors. One has only one divisor.  Hence one is not prime.