CHAPTER 6: INTEGER

DEFINITION: An INTEGER is a whole number (not a fractional number) that can be positive, negative, or zero.

DIVISIBILITY
 Divisibility determines if there will be a remainder when an integer division operation occurs.
 If one value, a, is divisible by another value, b, it is said that b divides into a evenly. In this case, there is no
remainder from the division operation and the result of a/b is an integer. If a is not divisible by b, then b does not
divide into a evenly. In this case, there is a remainder from the division operation and the result of a/b is not an
integer.
EXAMPLE:

6
6 is divisible by 3. This is because =2 , which is an integer.
3
9 1
9 is not divisible by 2. This is because =4 2 or 4.5 = 4 with a remainder of 1. Then, the division operation produces a
2
remainder, and the result of 9/2 is not an integer.

DIVISION ALGORITHM
 The division algorithm is as follows: for any integer, a, and any positive integer, b, there exist unique integers n
and r, such that a=bn+r ,where r is greater than or equal to 0 and less than b.
 In the division algorithm equation,
 a is the dividend (the larger number that is divided by a smaller number),
 b is the divisor (the number that is divided into a larger number),
 r is the remainder (the number left over when the dividend is divided by the divisor to produce an
integer), and
 n is the highest integer that is less than or equal to the quotient (the result when the dividend is divided
by the divisor).
 The floor function is the function used to find the greatest integer that is less than or equal to a value:
 n=|q| where q is the quotient of the division operation.
 The remainder can be found by performing subtraction:
 the remainder is the dividend minus the product of the divisor and the floor of the quotient.
 This can be expressed by rearranging the division algorithm:
 a−bn=r
 The remainder can also be found by repeatedly subtracting the divisor from the dividend until the result is
smaller than the divisor itself. Then, the ending result is the remainder.
 If a value, p, is divisible by another value, m , then the remainder is zero and the division algorithm looks like
p
p=mq, where q is the quotient of .
m

DIVISIBILITY RULES
 There are rules to test if a large number is divisible by various smaller numbers, called the divisibility rules.
 Every positive integer is divisible by 1.
 A positive integer is divisible by 2 if the last digit of the dividend is even.
 A positive integer is divisible by 3 if the sum of the digits of the dividend is divisible by 3.
 A positive integer is divisible by 4 if the last two digits of the dividend are divisible by 4.
 A positive integer is divisible by 5 if the last digit of the dividend is 0 or 5.
 A positive integer is divisible by 6 if the dividend is divisible by 2 and 3.

EXAMPLE:

If x is divisible by y , which of the following statements are true?

(a) In the division algorithm, when x is divided by y , the remainder is 0.

(b) y divides into x evenly.

(c) x= ym , for some integer m .

SOLUTION:

(a) is true because divisibility means that the remainder is 0.

(b) is true because (b) is synonymous with x is divisible by y
(c) is true because the division algorithm would produce x= ym+r , but since the remainder is zero, x= ym

EXAMPLE:
If 60 is the dividend, and 8 is the divisor, then by the division algorithm there exists unique integers m and r , such that
60 = 8m+r , where r is greater than 0, but less than 8. Find m and r .
SOLUTION:

Divide 60 by 8 to produce 7.5. Then, m can be found by taking the floor function of 7.5: ⌊ 7.5 ⌋ =7.
Notice that 8∗7=56. To find the remainder, subtract the result from 60: 60 – 56 = 4
Another way to find the remainder is to set up the division algorithm and solve for r.

60 = 8∗7+ r
60 = 56 + r
4=r

Then, the result when 60 is divided by 8 is 7 with a remainder of 4. The division algorithm for this problem can be written
as: 60 = 8∗7+ 4

m = 7, r = 4

EXAMPLE:

Which of the following numbers is 261 divisible by?

(a) 3
(b) 4
(c) 6

EXAMPLE:

What is the remainder when -564 is divided by 13?