COT 3100 Quiz #9: Euclid's Algorithm Solution 3/23/05

1) a) Using the Euclidean algorithm, find gcd(427, 154).

427 = 2(154) + 119 (1)

154 = 1(119) + 35 (2)
119 = 3(35) + 14 (3)
35 = 2(14) + 7 (4)
14 = 2(7), (5)

Thus, gcd(427, 154) = 7.

b) Using the Extended Euclidean Algorithm find all pairs of integers x and y that satisfy
the equation 427x + 154y = gcd(427, 154).

35 - 2(14) = 7, (6) which is obtained by writing (4) backwards.

We know that 14 = 119 - 3(35) from (3), so now substitute for 14 into (6):

35 - 2(119 - 3(35)) = 7
35 - 2(119) + 6(35) = 7
7(35) - 2(119) = 7 (7)

We know that 35 = 154 - 119 from (2), so now substitute for 35 into (7):

7(154-119) - 2(119) = 7
7(154) - 7(119) - 2(119) = 7
7(154) - 9(119) = 7 (8)

We know that 119 = 427 - 2(154) from (1), so now substitute for 119 into (8):

7(154) - 9(427 - 2(154)) = 7

7(154) - 9(427) + 18(154) = 7
25(154) - 9(427) = 7

Thus, a solution is x= -9 and y=25. To find all solutions, consider the following
equation:

427a + 154b = 0
61a + 22b = 0
61a = -22b. Since gcd(a,b)=1, the smallest solution is a=22, b=-61. It follows that the
complete solution for x and y is

x = -9+22n,
y=25-61n, for all nZ.
2) Write a recursive C function that computes the gcd of two given non-negative integers
a and b. (Note: You are guaranteed that both a and b aren't 0, since gcd(0,0) isn't defined.
Also, remember that you can NOT divide by 0!!!) The prototype is given to you below:

// Precondition: a and b are non-negative and at least one

// of them is not equal to 0.
int gcd(int a, int b) {

if (a == 0) return b;
if (b == 0) return a;

if (a%b == 0)
return b;
else
return gcd(a%b, b);