数论中，一个自然数称为殆素数，当且仅当存在一个绝对常数K，使这个自然数最多有K个素因子。自然数n称为k次殆素数，当且仅当Ω(n) = k，其中Ω（n）是n的整数分解过程中的指数和：

因此，一个自然数是素数，当且仅当它是一次殆素数；一个自然数是半素数，当且仅当它是二次殆素数。k次殆素数的集合通常表示成P_k。开始的几个k次殆素数是：

In number theory, a natural number is called almost prime if there exists an absolute constant K such that the number has at most K prime factors. An almost prime n is denoted by P_r if and only if the number of prime factors of n, counted according to multiplicity, is at most r. A natural number is called k-almost prime if it has exactly k prime factors, counted with multiplicity. More formally, a number n is k-almost prime if and only if Ω(n) = k, where Ω(n) is the total number of primes in the prime factorization of n: