542
BWV 542 is the Great Fantasia and Fugue in G minor.
- Even
- Composite
Where 542 fits
Why 542 is special
Its fugue subject is a Dutch folk tune, which is a documented case of Bach building a major work on borrowed popular material.
Factors & digit properties
- Divisors (4)
- 1, 2, 271, 542
- Prime factorisation
- 2 × 271
- Digit sum
- 11
- Digital root
- 2
Representations
- Decimal
- 542
- Scientific notation
- 5.420 × 10^2
Roman numerals
D X L I I
DXLII uses the subtractive pair XL: ten before fifty — fifty minus ten.
Binary
1 0 0 0 0 1 1 1 1 0
1 × 512 + 0 × 256 + 0 × 128 + 0 × 64 + 0 × 32 + 1 × 16 + 1 × 8 + 1 × 4 + 1 × 2 + 0 × 1 = 542
Octal
1 0 3 6
1 × 512 + 0 × 64 + 3 × 8 + 6 × 1 = 542
Hexadecimal
2 1 e
2 × 256 + 1 × 16 + e × 1 = 542
Read as powers of two: 512 + 16 + 8 + 4 + 2 = 542.
In historical numeral systems
Egyptian
5 coils of rope, 4 hobbles, 2 strokes
5 × 100 + 4 × 10 + 2 × 1 = 542. The signs are simply repeated and added; where they sit on the line is a matter of layout, not value.
Babylonian
9 vertical wedges (sixties place), 2 vertical wedges (units place)
9 × 60 + 2 = 542. Places are separated by a space on the tablet, with the higher place written first.
Greek (Ionic)
phi, then mu, then beta, marked as a numeral
phi-mu-beta + keraia
phi + mu + beta written in descending order and added — the letters carry their values wherever they stand, so this is addition, not place value.
Hebrew numerals
tav, then qof, then mem, then bet
tav-qof-mem-bet
tav (400) + qof (100) + mem (40) + bet (2) = 542, written in descending order.
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
- Semiprime
Related numbers & connections
Little and great refer to length rather than quality, which is a naming convention rather than a judgement.
View 578 →Media & popular culture
BWV 542 pairs a freely chromatic fantasia with a fugue whose subject derives from a Dutch song, a borrowing noted in the scholarly literature.
DocumentedMedia & popular cultureGeography: GermanyPeriod: c.1720
Common questions
Is 542 a prime number?
No, 542 is not prime.
What are the factors of 542?
The factors of 542 are 1, 2, 271, 542.
What is 542 in Roman numerals?
542 in Roman numerals is DXLII. XL is subtractive: ten before fifty — fifty minus ten. Written additively it would be DXXXXII, 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: 1 reviewer-confirmed record, sourced and reviewed before publication.
Last reviewed: 15 July 2026