Factors III

Numbers is one of the most important topics for CAT and other management entrance exams, questions
from which have appeared consistently and in significant numbers in all these exams.

Key concepts discussed:

Factors (divisors) of a number are the numbers which divide the number completely.
Prime factorization is the process of expressing a composite number as a product of its prime
factor(s).

If N = ap bq cr ... , where a, b, c, are prime numbers such that a < b < c , then
o
o

Number of factors of N = (p + 1) (q + 1) (r + 1) ;
Number of even factors of N = p (q + 1) (r + 1) if a = 2;

Number of even factors of N = 0 if a 2;

Number of odd factors of N = 1 (q + 1) (r + 1) ;

o
o
o

(p + 1) (q + 1) (r + 1) ...
Number of ways of expressing N as a product of two factors (Np) =
2
(when N is not a perfect square);
(p + 1) (q + 1) (r + 1) ... + 1
Number of ways of expressing N as a product of two factors (Np) =
2
(when N is a perfect square);
Number of ways of expressing N as a product of two distinct factors

(Np ' ) = (p + 1) (q + 1)2 (r + 1) ... 1 (when N is a perfect square);

o

Number of ways of expressing N as a product of two co-prime factors = 2n 1 (where n is the

number of prime factors of the number);

N
Product of factors of N (N is not a perfect square) = N p ;

Product of factors of N (N is a perfect square) = N

o
o

1
Np
2

Sum of factors of N = (a + a + a + + a ) (b + b + b2 + + bq) (c0 + c1 + c2 ++ cr)

;
Sum of even factors of N = (a1 + a2 + + ap) (b0 + b1 + b2 + + bq) (c0 + c1 + c2 ++ cr)
(where a = 2);
Sum of odd factors of N = a0 (b0 + b1 + b2 + + bq) (c0 + c1 + c2 ++ cr) (where a = 2).

Highlight: This session deals with definition and formulae based questions which are of moderate difficulty
level.

Session

Numbers

The questions discussed in the session are given below along with their source.
Q1.

How many pairs of factors of 864 are co-prime?

(a) 24
(b) 32
(c) 38

(d) 40
(CL material)

Q2.

If P = 441 484 529 576 625, the total number of factors of P is

(a) 607
(b) 5706
(c) 1024
(d) 6075
(CL material)

Q3.

In how many ways can 5400 be written as a product of two factors which are co prime number?
(a) 3
(b) 4
(c) 5
(d) 6
(CL material)

Q4.

Find the sum of odd factors of 1250.

(a) 784
(b) 886
(c) 781

(d) 895
(CL material)

Q5.

If N = p14 p23 p37 , where p1 , p2 and p3 are prime numbers greater than 2, find the number of
factor of N which are perfect squares.
(a) 24
(b) 21
(c) 20
(d) 28
(CL material)

Numbers

Session