# What is the smallest counting number you can create higher than 1? [closed]

What is the smallest integer you can create using 1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8,9 that is strictly greater than 1?

• You can use any mathematics symbol.
• You must use all nine numbers.
• You can't use the same number more than once.
• You can't use the same mathematics symbol more than once.

## closed as too broad by Bass, ffao, JonMark Perry, A. P., Rubio♦Mar 8 '18 at 20:15

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• "You can use any mathematics symbol" - you need to narrow this to a finite list. Otherwise I can just invent a mathematical symbol $*$ and define it almost however I want. There are a LOT of mathematical symbols out there. – Rand al'Thor Mar 8 '18 at 11:10
• There's nothing wrong with the distinction "counting number" which refers to the natural numbers, i.e. positive integers. Here they are equivalent, since we only consider numbers greater than 1. I don't think there was any ambiguity in that part of the original statement. – AlexanderJ93 Mar 8 '18 at 11:43
• Adding to @votbear 's answer, if the smallest number we could make it not strictly greater than $1$, but still is greater nonetheless, then it would be as follows: $$\frac{1}{2\times 3\times 4\times 5\times 6\times 7\times 8\times 9} = \frac{1}{9!}$$ Through multiplication, it will be using $\times$ more than once, but we can write the denominator as $9!$ which is an alternative mathematical symbol that is only used once so.... – Mr Pie Mar 19 '18 at 10:10

• You can't use the same mathematics symbol more than once. How would you add the rest of the numbers ? – Doomenik Mar 8 '18 at 12:33