FUNDAMENTAL THEOREM OF

ARITHMETIC
Presented To: Ms Jamila

Presented
by:
What is prime number?
An integer p>1 is called a prime number if
its only positive divisors are 1 and p.
The first few prime numbers are 2, 3, 5, 7,
11, 13, 17, 19, 23 and 29.
What is composite number?
A composite number is a positive integer
which has more than two factors.
For example, 15 has factors 1, 3, 5 and 15,
hence it is a composite number.
 Fundamental Theorem Of Arithmetic
Statement
Every positive integer can be expressed as a product of primes. Apart from
the order in which prime factors occur in the product, they are unique
Proof
Let n>1 be an integer. If n is prime, we are done. Suppose n is not a prime.
Then n is divisible by a prime say
 n= for some integer
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If is prime, we are done again, otherwise is divisible by a prime .
Hence
=  n=
If is not prime, then we can continue this process. Since a given
number can have only finite number of divisors, in a finite
number of steps we must get n as a product of primes.
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Uniqueness
Now suppose n= ……. and also n= ……., , primes. Suppose r<s.
Since  n= …….
at least one integer i, but then and are both primes
=
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We may rearrange the we take i=1 too. Therefore

= .
Since n= …… = ….. and = ;so that
…. = ….
We continue the above process till all p_{i} get exhausted. Also,
as r < s we are eventually left with
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….. ;
but then this cannot be possible. Hence r
cannot be less than s.
Similarly, r cannot be greater than s.
Hence r= s and i.
=
 Example
To understand fundamental theorem of
arithmetic better, let us consider the prime
factorization of 240.
From the figure, we get 240 = 2 × 2 × 2 × 2 ×
3 × 5. This theorem further tells us that this
factorization must be unique. That is, there
is no other way to express 240 as a product
of primes. Of course, we can change the
order in which the prime factors occur.
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For example, the prime factorization can be
written as: 240 = 31 × 24 × 51 or 31× 22 × 51 ×
22 etc. But the set of prime factors (and the
number of times each factor occurs) is
unique. That is, 240 can have only one
possible prime factorization, with four factors
of 2 that is 24, one factor of 3 that is 31, and
one factor of 5 that is 51.
 Applications
HCF and LCM Using Fundamental Theorem of Arithmetic.
The fundamental theorem of arithmetic is used to compute the
HCF and LCM of two numbers. We start by determining the
prime factorization of both numbers. After that, we will have a
look at the following:
1. HCF of two or more numbers is the smallest power of each
common prime factor in the numbers.
2. LCM of two or more numbers is the product of the greatest
power of each common prime factor in the numbers.
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Find the HCF of 850 and 680 using the prime factorization
method?
We first find the prime factorizations of these numbers.
Thus : 850=x
650= x
HCF is the product of the smallest power of each common prime factor.
Hence, HCF (850,680)=x =170
LCM is the product of the greatest power of each common prime factor.
Hence, LCM(850,680)=x =3400
Thus, HCF(850,680)=170
LCM(850,680)=3400
Significance of Fundamental Theorem of
Arithmetic
 The above-mentioned fundamental theorem concerning
natural numbers except 1 has various applications in
mathematics and other subjects.
 The theorem is significant in mathematics because it
emphasizes that prime numbers are the building blocks for
all positive integers.
 Prime numbers can thus be compared to the atoms that
make up a molecule.
 If a prime number p divides ab, it divides either a or b,
implying that p divides at least one of them.
 If a composite number n divides ab,n divides neither a nor b
For example, 6
 divides 4×3 but does not divide 4 or 3.