The number 56 is classified as a composite number because it has more than two distinct positive divisors. Specifically, its divisors are 1, 2, 4, 7, 8, 14, 28, and 56. This means that 56 can be divided evenly by these numbers, unlike prime numbers, which have only two divisors: 1 and themselves. In terms of its mathematical properties, 56 can be expressed as the product of its prime factors: 2 × 2 × 2 × 7, or 2^3 \times 7. Additionally, 56 is an even number, as it ends in 6, and it is also the sum of the first six positive integers, making it a triangular number.