What is a “perfect” number?

Approximately 2,500 years ago the Pythagoreans defined a “perfect” number as one for whom the sum of its divisors, excluding itself, equals the number itself. For example, 6 can be divided by 1, 2, 3, and 6. If you add these numbers together, excluding 6 itself, the total is 6. Therefore 6 is a perfect number. Over the centuries, many mathematicians from all over the world have contributed to finding and defining perfect numbers.