Coupling Classes

Seven primes create eight pure classes. Each prime that divides a number removes one channel from its coupling. More prime divisors = weaker coupling = fewer members.

480
Unit
coprime | c=2310
480
2-class
p=2 | c=1155
240
3-class
p=3 | c=770
120
5-class
p=5 | c=462
80
7-class
p=7 | c=330
48
11-class
p=11 | c=210
+13
13-class
p=13 | c=in 6ch+
+17
17-class
p=17 | c=in 7ch

Counts for Z/2,310 (5 primes). 13 appears in Z/12,612,600. 17 appears in Z/214,414,200. Total: 128 = 2^7 classes.

The Coupling Rule

An element's class is determined by which primes divide it. Its coupling measures how strongly it interacts with the rest of the ring:

Coupling Formula
coupling(n) = N / gcd(n, N). Each prime factor in gcd(n, N) removes that channel. 1 (coprime to all) has maximum coupling N. Zero (divisible by all) has minimum coupling = 1. Works for every ring: Z/2,310, Z/970,200, Z/12,612,600, Z/214,414,200.

Pure classes: elements divisible by exactly one prime. Unit class = coprime to all = maximum coupling. Each subsequent class loses one channel: coupling(p) = N/p. So: 2 gives N/2, 3 gives N/3, 5 gives N/5, 7 gives N/7, 11 gives N/11, 13 gives N/13, 17 gives N/17. Hardware verified: all 7 primes flashed to ESP32, coupling(p) = N/p exact for each. ESCAPE coupling = N/17 = 12,612,600 = the TRUE ring modulus -- stripping the 7th channel reveals the 6-channel core.

The Eight Pure Classes

ClassPrimeRingProperty
UnitcoprimeallCoprime to all 7 primes. Maximum coupling.
2-class2allEven elements. The only parity-preserving prime.
3-class3allDivisible by 3. Minimum for majority.
5-class5allDivisible by 5. 5^2 divides the ring but 5 does not divide 24.
7-class7allDivisible by 7. Deepest resolution: 49 states.
11-class11allDivisible by 11. Error detection via parity.
13-class136ch+Divisible by 13. Dual parity with 11.
17-class177chDivisible by 17. 5*7 = 1 mod 17.

Pure class couplings in Z/2,310: unit=2310, 2-class=1155, 3-class=770, 5-class=462, 7-class=330, 11-class=210. Each is N/p. Coupling measures distance from the unit class.

Why 2 Is Special

Parity Preservation (PROVED)
Every prime except 2 is odd. Adding an odd number to any element flips its parity -- guaranteed class change. 2 is the ONLY prime that preserves parity. It can keep you in the same class. 2 separates classes without blocking.

Compound Classes

An element can be divisible by multiple primes simultaneously. With 7 primes in Z/214,414,200, there are 2^7 = 128 possible divisibility patterns. 1 is void (all primes), 7 are pure classes, 1 is unit (no primes). That leaves 119 compound classes.

Pure classes
7
Elements divisible by exactly 1 prime. One per prime.
Compound classes
119
Elements divisible by 2-6 primes simultaneously.
Total patterns
128 = 2^7
Every subset of {2, 3, 5, 7, 11, 13, 17}. The powerset IS the class space.
Void
1 element
n = 0. Divisible by all 7 primes. Below all classes.

Examples: 6 = 2*3 (compound of 2-class and 3-class). 35 = 5*7 (compound; and 5*7 = 1 mod 17).

Scaling Across Rings

The ring hierarchy: Z/2,310 (5 primes) -> Z/970,200 (5 prime-power) -> Z/12,612,600 (+13) -> Z/214,414,200 (+17). Each step raises exponents or adds a new prime:

Z/2,310 -> Z/970,200
420x per class
Raising exponents: 2->2^3, 3->3^2, 5->5^2, 7->7^2. Same 32 classes, more elements.
Z/970,200 -> Z/12,612,600
classes 32->64
13 adds 6th prime. phi = 2,419,200.
Z/12,612,600 -> Z/214,414,200
classes 64->128
17 adds 7th prime. phi = 38,707,200.
Class Primality
PROVED
All pure class counts are products of the ring's primes.

Raising exponents (Z/2,310 -> Z/970,200) multiplies each class by 420 without changing the class count. Adding a prime doubles the class count. The 8-class hierarchy is invariant: unit class is always largest, 17-class is always rarest.

Explore: Coupling Classifier

Enter any number. See its class from all 7 primes. Pure classes have exactly 1 prime dividing. Try 1 (unit), 2 (2-class), 13 (13-class), 17 (17-class), 6 (compound), 0 (void).

Number:

Contrast

QuestionStandardRing View
What are coupling classes?Divisor subgroupsgcd(n, N) determines active channels. 8 pure + 119 compound + void = 128 = 2^7.
Why 8 pure classes?7 prime factors + unit7 primes = 7 single-prime classes + 1 unit class. Z/214,414,200 has all 8.
Why is unit class largest?Most coprime elementsCoprime to all 7 primes = max coupling = most connected.
Why is 17-class rarest?Fewest 17-divisible17 is the largest prime. Divisibility by 17 is the rarest single-prime constraint.
What does 2 do?Parity2 = the only even prime. Preserves parity. Separates classes without blocking.
Can you compute it?Just gcdcoupling(n) = N / gcd(n, N). For Z/214,414,200: N = 214,414,200.

Verify It Yourself

Compute coupling(1), coupling(2), coupling(13), coupling(17). Count elements in each class. Every number on this page is arithmetic.

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