1790
1790 is the year the US patent system began.
- Even
- Composite
Where 1790 fits
Why 1790 is special
The first patent was signed by George Washington personally. Patents were examined for novelty from the start, which distinguished the American system from registration-only systems elsewhere.
Same number, different meanings
How 1790 is understood across different contexts — never implying one meaning because of another.
- Mathematics
The first patent was signed by George Washington personally. Patents were examined for novelty from the start, which distinguished the American system from registration-only systems elsewhere.
- History
In 1790, France adopted the decimal metric system in principle, and the first US patent and census laws were enacted (France and United States).
- Law & regulation
The US system from 1790 required examination for novelty and utility before a patent issued, where several European systems simply registered claims. The difference shapes what a patent means in each jurisdiction to this day.
1790 is part of
Factors & digit properties
- Divisors (8)
- 1, 2, 5, 10, 179, 358, 895, 1790
- Prime factorisation
- 2 × 5 × 179
- Digit sum
- 17
- Digital root
- 8
Representations
- Decimal
- 1790
- Scientific notation
- 1.790 × 10^3
Roman numerals
M D C C X C
MDCCXC uses the subtractive pair XC: ten before a hundred — a hundred minus ten.
Binary
1 1 0 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 0
1 × 1,024 + 1 × 512 + 0 × 256 + 1 × 128 + 1 × 64 + 1 × 32 + 1 × 16 + 1 × 8 + 1 × 4 + 1 × 2 + 0 × 1 = 1,790
Octal
3 3 7 6
3 × 512 + 3 × 64 + 7 × 8 + 6 × 1 = 1,790
Hexadecimal
6 f e
6 × 256 + f × 16 + e × 1 = 1,790
Read as powers of two: 1,024 + 512 + 128 + 64 + 32 + 16 + 8 + 4 + 2 = 1,790.
In historical numeral systems
Egyptian
1 lotus, 7 coils of rope, 9 hobbles
1 × 1,000 + 7 × 100 + 9 × 10 = 1,790. The signs are simply repeated and added; where they sit on the line is a matter of layout, not value.
Babylonian
2 corner wedges + 9 vertical wedges (sixties place), 5 corner wedges (units place)
29 × 60 + 50 = 1790. Places are separated by a space on the tablet, with the higher place written first.
Systems that simply cannot reach this value are left out. Where a script needs a font most readers do not have, the reading is given instead of the glyphs — see number systems for each system in full.
Other mathematical patterns
- Deficient number
Related numbers & connections
1790 is a year in the 18th century, in the 1790s.
The Society of Arts offered prizes on condition inventions were not patented; the US patent system from 1790 examined and granted exclusive rights. Two opposite theories of how to encourage invention.
View 1754 →History
In 1790, France adopted the decimal metric system in principle, and the first US patent and census laws were enacted (France and United States).
DocumentedHistoryGeography: France and United StatesPeriod: 1790
Law & regulation
The US system from 1790 required examination for novelty and utility before a patent issued, where several European systems simply registered claims. The difference shapes what a patent means in each jurisdiction to this day.
DocumentedLaw & regulationGeography: United StatesPeriod: 1790
Common questions
Is 1790 a prime number?
No, 1790 is not prime.
What are the factors of 1790?
The factors of 1790 are 1, 2, 5, 10, 179, 358, 895, 1790.
What is 1790 in Roman numerals?
1790 in Roman numerals is MDCCXC. XC is subtractive: ten before a hundred — a hundred minus ten. Written additively it would be MDCCLXXXX, which Roman inscriptions used freely — the strict subtractive form is a later convention.
About this page's data
Mathematical facts:computed directly from the number's value — nothing to source or verify externally.
Contextual records: 2 reviewer-confirmed records, sourced and reviewed before publication.
Last reviewed: 15 July 2026