Excerpts from Chapter2 Pearson Guide to Number System for CAT (by

Nishit Sinha) dueNorth Academics, Dehradun (An IIM Alumni Body) CAT | GRE |
GMAT
CM !C" CM CM stands #or east Common Multi$le% In other &ords,
CM is the lo&est num'er di(isi'le 'y all the num'ers ta)en% This is also the *st
num'er that comes common in the list o# multi$les (or ta'le) o# all the num'ers
ta)en% To understand this 'etter, let us see the #ollo&in+ e,am$le-
!"#" CM o# *., /. and /0 *st #e& multi$les o# *. 1 *., /., 2., 3., 0., 4., 5., 6.,
7., *.., **., */., *2., %%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%
*st #e& multi$les o# /. 1 /., 3., 4., 6., *.., */.%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%
*st #e& multi$les o# /0 1 /0, 0., 50, *.., */0%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%% *st num'er common in the
list o# multi$les o# *., /. and /0 1 *..% !ence *.. is the CM o# *., /. and /0%
Meanin+ o# CM- Ta)in+ a cue #rom a'o(e e,am$le, &e can also say that *.. is the
lo&est num'er di(isi'le 'y *., /. and /0% Gi(in+ a second thou+ht, is *.. actually
the lo&est num'er di(isi'le 'y *., /. and /08 9ome num'ers that are less than *..
and di(isi'le 'y *., /. and /0 are 1 ., :*.., :/.. etc% Des$ite these num'ers 'ein+
lo&er than *.., &hy these num'ers are not the CM o# ta)en num'ers8 Reason; .
is not a multi$le o# *. or /. or /0% At the same time, :*.. or :/.. are also not the
multi$les o# *. or /. or /0% 9ince these are not the multi$les, hence not the CM%
!"2" CM o# *., :/. and :/0 CM is de<ned only #or $ositi(e num'ers% In other
&ords, CM is de<ned only #or $ositi(e #ractions and natural num'ers ; $ositi(e
num'ers% In other &ords, CM #or ne+ati(e num'ers as &ell as =ero is not de<ned%
!ence no CM o# *., :/. and :/0 is $ossi'le% Process to $nd out %C&' i% 9tandard
method ; 9tandard method o# <ndin+ CM is throu+h #actori=ation o# num'ers% et
us understand this 2:ste$ $rocess-
9te$ * ; "actori=e the num'ers% Excerpts from Chapter2 Pearson Guide to
Number System for CAT (by Nishit Sinha) dueNorth Academics, Dehradun (An
IIM Alumni Body) CAT | GRE | GMAT
9te$ / ; Collect all the distinct #actors% 9te$ 2 ; Raise each #actor to its ma,imum
a(aila'le $o&er and multi$ly these% "indin+ CM o# *., /. and /0 9te$ * ; *. 1 /* >
0* /. 1 // > 0* /0 1 0/ 9te$ / ; Distinct #actors 1 /, 0 9te$ 2 ; !i+hest $o&er o# / 1
// !i+hest $o&er o# 0 1 0/ !ence CM 1 // > 0/ ii% 9trai+ht ine method ; 9trai+ht
ine method o# <ndin+ CM in(ol(es ta)in+ num'ers in succession one 'y one and
then o'ser(in+ &hich #actors are to 'e multi$lied% et us understand this throu+h an
e,am$le- !"(" "ind CM o# /3, 2., 0/, 54% 9olution ; et us start &ith one num'er,
and slo&ly )ee$ mo(in+ to the ne,t num'ers% ?e are here startin+ &ith /3% Ta)e
ne,t num'er 2.% And thin) &hat num'er should 'e multi$lied to /3 so that 2.
di(ides /3>N (&here N is the num'er multi$lied to /3)% @'(iously it is +oin+ to 'e
the #actors o# 2. &hich are not $resent in /3% No& 2. 1 /* > 2* > 0* and /3 1 /2 >
2% "actors o# 2. &hich are missin+ in /3 1 0*% !ence CM o# /3 and 2. 1 /3 > 0
AAlternati(ely it &e start &ith 2., and then &e &ill 'e reBuired to thin) that &hich
num'er should 'e multi$lied to 2. so that (2.> C) is di(isi'le 'y each o# 2. and /3%
No& 2. 1 /* > 2* > 0* and /3 1 /2 > 2% "actors o# /3 that is not $resent in 2. 1 //%
!ence CM o# 2. and /3 1 2. > 3D Excerpts from Chapter2 Pearson Guide to
Number System for CAT (by Nishit Sinha) dueNorth Academics, Dehradun (An
IIM Alumni Body) CAT | GRE | GMAT
Ne,t num'er is 0/ 1 *2* > //% // is already $resent in the CM (that &e ha(e
calculated till no&) o# /3 and 2., hence &e &ill multi$ly it 'y *2* (&hich is not
$resent in /3 > 0)% 9o, CM o# /3, 2. and 0/ 1 /3 > 0 > *2% Ne,t num'er is 54 1
*7* > //% It can 'e seen that // is already $resent in the CM (that &e ha(e
calculated till no&) o# /3, 2. and 0/% !ence &e &ill multi$ly this 'y *7*% !ence CM
o# /3, 2., 0/, 54 1 /3 > 0 > *2 > *7 1 /743. 9trai+ht line a$$roach can also 'e
sho&n 'y the #ollo&in+ e,$ression- CM (A, B, C) 1 CM (CM (A,B),C) 1 CM (A,
CM(B,C)) 1 CM (B, CM(A,C)) 9imilarly, CM (A, B, C, D) 1 CM (CM (A,B), CM(C,
D)) and so on% !")" CM o# three natural num'ers *., /. and N 1 4.% !o& many
(alues o# N are $ossi'le8 9olution ; ?e ha(e already seen that to +enerate the CM
&e multi$ly the $rime num'ers &ith the hi+hest a(aila'le $o&er% 9o let us start &ith
#actori=in+ the num'ers-
// > 0* is already $resent in /., ho&e(er 2 is not $resent in either *. or /.% 9o &e
can conclude that 2* has to come #rom N% This is the minimum (alue o# N 1 2%
9econdly &e can also say that N may contain $o&ers o# / and 0 as &ell as lon+ as
ma,imum $o&er o# / 1 / and ma,imum $o&er o# 0 1 * (as in // > 0*) 9o total
diEerent (alues o# N 1 (2* > /. > 0.), (2* > /* > 0.), (2* > // > 0.), (2* > /. > 0*), (2*
> /* > 0*), (2* > // > 0*) 1 2, 4, */, *0, 2., 4. 1 4 (alues
!C" Excerpts from Chapter2 Pearson Guide to Number System for CAT
(by Nishit Sinha) dueNorth Academics, Dehradun (An IIM Alumni Body) CAT | GRE
| GMAT
!C" stands #or !i+hest Common "actor% It is also )no&n as GCD (Greatest Common
Di(isor)% This is the lar+est num'er that can di(ide the +i(en set o# num'ers% A
num'er is a common #actor o# t&o or more than t&o num'ers i# it di(ides all the
num'ers% "or e,am$le, let us see the #actors o# some o# the num'ers- "actors o# /.
1 *, /, 3, 0, *., /. "actors o# 3. 1 *, /, 3, 0, 6, *., /., 3. "actors o# 30 1 *, 2, 0, 7,
*0, 30 Common #actors o# /., 3. and 30 1 * and 0 (these t&o #actors &ill di(ide /.,
3. and 30)% The !i+hest Common "actor o# the num'ers is, as the name su++ests,
the lar+est #actor common across all the +i(en num'ers% In the a'o(e e,am$le, 0 is
the !i+hest Common "actor% In other &ords, in the a'o(e e,am$le, 0 is the lar+est
num'er &hich &ill di(ide each o# /., 3. and 30% Fro$erties o# !C"- *% !C" (a, a) 1 a
/% !C" (a, ') 1 !C" (', a) 2% I# C 1 !C" (a, ') then !C" (aG), 'G)) 1 * (&here all the
di+its are non =ero)% 3% I# a H ' H ., and a 1 'B I r, then !C" (a, ') 1 !C" (', r)% et
us understand this &ith the hel$ o# an e,am$le- Com$ute !C" (6.2, *03)% !C"(6.2,
*03) 1 !C"(*03, 22) since 6.2 1 *03 J 0 I 22 !C"(*03, 22) 1 !C"(22, //) since
*03 1 22 J 3 I // !C"(22, //) 1 !C"(//, **) since 22 1 // J * I ** !C"(//, **) 1
** since // 1 ** J / I . !ence !C"(6.2, *03) 1 **% This is also )no&n as Euclidean
Al+orithm #or <ndin+ !C"% 0% I# !C" o# (a, ') 1 N (&here a and ' are natural num'ers
and a H '), then !C" o# A', (aI')D 1 A', (a:')D 1 N "or e,am$le, !C" o# (/6, /.) 1 3
!ence !C" o# A/., (/6I/.)D 1 !C" o# A/., (/6:/.)D 1 3