246
+246 is the international calling code for Diego Garcia.
- Even
- Composite
Where 246 fits
Why 246 is special
+246 covers the British Indian Ocean Territory, whose population was forcibly removed in the 1960s and 70s to make way for a military base. The International Court of Justice ruled in 2019 that the UK should end its administration.
Same number, different meanings
How 246 is understood across different contexts — never implying one meaning because of another.
- Mathematics
+246 covers the British Indian Ocean Territory, whose population was forcibly removed in the 1960s and 70s to make way for a military base. The International Court of Justice ruled in 2019 that the UK should end its administration.
- Science
NGC 246, the Skull Nebula, was found to contain a hierarchical triple star system at its centre, the first such system identified within a planetary nebula.
- Geography
+246 reaches the British Indian Ocean Territory. Its inhabitants were expelled to make way for a joint UK-US military base, and the ICJ advised in 2019 that the UK's continued administration is unlawful.
Factors & digit properties
- Divisors (8)
- 1, 2, 3, 6, 41, 82, 123, 246
- Prime factorisation
- 2 × 3 × 41
- Digit sum
- 12
- Digital root
- 3
Representations
- Decimal
- 246
- Scientific notation
- 2.460 × 10^2
Roman numerals
C C X L V I
CCXLVI uses the subtractive pair XL: ten before fifty — fifty minus ten.
Binary
1 1 1 1 0 1 1 0
1 × 128 + 1 × 64 + 1 × 32 + 1 × 16 + 0 × 8 + 1 × 4 + 1 × 2 + 0 × 1 = 246
Octal
3 6 6
3 × 64 + 6 × 8 + 6 × 1 = 246
Hexadecimal
f 6
f × 16 + 6 × 1 = 246
Read as powers of two: 128 + 64 + 32 + 16 + 4 + 2 = 246.
In historical numeral systems
Egyptian
2 coils of rope, 4 hobbles, 6 strokes
2 × 100 + 4 × 10 + 6 × 1 = 246. The signs are simply repeated and added; where they sit on the line is a matter of layout, not value.
Babylonian
4 vertical wedges (sixties place), 6 vertical wedges (units place)
4 × 60 + 6 = 246. Places are separated by a space on the tablet, with the higher place written first.
Greek (Ionic)
sigma, then mu, then stigma, marked as a numeral
sigma-mu-stigma + keraia
sigma + mu + stigma written in descending order and added — the letters carry their values wherever they stand, so this is addition, not place value.
Hebrew numerals
resh, then mem, then vav
resh-mem-vav
resh (200) + mem (40) + vav (6) = 246, written in descending order.
Maya
2 bars + 2 dots (upper, twenties place) over 1 bar + 1 dot (lower, units place)
12 × 20 + 6 = 246. Places stack vertically with the smallest at the bottom, so the upper group is worth twenty times the lower.
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
- Abundant number
Related numbers & connections
Diego Garcia and Ascension Island are both remote British territories used primarily as military and communications bases, and neither has a settled civilian population with right of abode.
View 247 →Other connections
- is associated with247
why?
Strength 0.50, confidence "high".
Science
NGC 246, the Skull Nebula, was found to contain a hierarchical triple star system at its centre, the first such system identified within a planetary nebula.
DocumentedSciencePeriod: 1785–
Geography
+246 reaches the British Indian Ocean Territory. Its inhabitants were expelled to make way for a joint UK-US military base, and the ICJ advised in 2019 that the UK's continued administration is unlawful.
DocumentedGeographyGeography: Diego Garcia
Common questions
Is 246 a prime number?
No, 246 is not prime.
What are the factors of 246?
The factors of 246 are 1, 2, 3, 6, 41, 82, 123, 246.
What is 246 in Roman numerals?
246 in Roman numerals is CCXLVI. XL is subtractive: ten before fifty — fifty minus ten. Written additively it would be CCXXXXVI, 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