496 (number)

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496 (four hundred [and] ninety-six) is the natural number following 495 and preceding 497.

496 is most notable for being a perfect number, and one of the earliest numbers to be recognized as such. 496 is also a harmonic divisor number.

The group E₈ has real dimension 496.

The number 496 is a very important number in superstring theory. In 1984, Michael Green and John H. Schwarz realized that one of the necessary conditions for a superstring theory to make sense is that the dimension of the gauge group of type I string theory must be 496. The group is therefore SO(32). Their discovery started the first superstring revolution. It was realized in 1985 that the heterotic string can admit another possible gauge group, namely E₈ x E₈.

The UK's Ofcom reserves telephone numbers in many dialing areas in the 496 local block for fictional purposes, such as 0114 496-1234.^[1]

• AD 496