On the intriguing number 1001

Abstract

Born in 1936 I was a schoolboy on the threshold of the secondary school when a knapsack-type game was played with a class mate around 1946–1947. To play the game well and fascinated by numbers in general since my early childhood, however, I realized soon the usefulness of knowing that $1001 = 7\times 11\times 13$. Today, about 70 years later, the game has been passed to some of my grandchildren who also should convince themselves that simple, arithmetic calculations do not necessarily require a pocket computer. As a side effect of the recent revival of the game I felt motivated to seek more insight into the intriguing number 1001. An account of the findings is provided.