It has always been a regret of epsilon proportion that my car license plate number doesn’t have particular significance. For example it is is divisible by 7 and hence not a prime, unlike the fact that my apartment number and my level number are both primes. In fact, both are one of half some twin prime pairs. My block number is perfect.
Well, I will be getting a new car soon and when asked whether I wished to retain the current license plate number, the voice within me shouted no! (It also saves me a hundred bucks from the processing fees.) Mathematica tells me there are 1229 primes less than 9999, which means I have a 12% chance — fingers crossed.
Incidentally, 1229 is itself a prime. Furthermore, the possibility of getting a prime (car) number should be higher than 12%. The local population being predominantly chinese likes special numbers like 8888, or 9999. So some favourite numbers are reserved and available if one is willing to pay more. My guess is that there are more composites than primes in this reserve list.
Sadly, I report that I didn’t get a prime number. three to three dot two two three.