ABHAY MAHAJAN

B.Tech. IIT Roorkee

➔ 11+ years teaching experience
➔ Mentored and taught around 20000+ students
➔ Produced 400+ IIT selections
➔ 10+ INMO selections
➔ 1 EGMO Selection
  
   

 
   

 
HCF and LCM  

 
 
     

   
 

 
 

   

   
   
   
 H.C.F and L.C.M

★ Greatest Common Divisor: G.C.D. or h.c.f. (x, y) of two

natural numbers is the greatest natural number which
divides them both.

★ Least Common Multiple: L.C.M. or lcm(x, y) of two

natural numbers is the least natural number which is
divisible by both of them.
Example: gcd(18, 24) = 6, lcm(18, 24) = 72.
 H.C.F and L.C.M

COPRIME NUMBERS: Two natural numbers

are called relatively prime or coprime if they have
no common divisors greater than 1 i.e. gcd(x, y) = 1.
Example: 9 & 16 are coprime integers, while 6 & 15
are not.
● Any two consecutive integers are coprime.
● Further, any two consecutive odd integers are
coprime.
 H.C.F and L.C.M using prime factorization method

● The HCF(GCD) of two or more numbers is the

greatest common factor of the given set of numbers.

● The L.C.M of two or more numbers is the least

number which can be divided exactly by each of the
given numbers.
 H.C.F.
Find G.C.D of 12, 18 and 24
Step11
Step Write prime factors of all the numbers

Step21 Find product of common factors of given number.

Step

GCD
 L.C.M.
Find LCM of 20, 48 and 36
Step11 Express each number in a product of prime factors.
Step

Step 1 Select the common prime factors having the highest

Step 2 exponent and the remaining prime factor that are not
common.
Step 1 Multiply all such common factors. The product
Step 3
obtained is the LCM.
 Relationship between LCM and HCF
LCM and HCF of two positive integers are related
to each other by given formula:

Product of two numbers = LCM x HCF

NOTE:
Product of three number ≠ LCM X HCF
 LCM and HCF of Fractions

The LCM and HCF of fraction can be determined by

the following formula

The given fraction should be reduced to their lowest terms

before finding the GCD and LCM.
 Properties

Property: If gcd(a, b) = 1 then gcd(a, na + b) = gcd(b, a + nb) = 1

 Properties

Property: gcd(a, b) = gcd(a, na + b) = gcd(b, a + nb)

Note: gcd(a, b) = gcd(a, b - a)

 NTSE 2020

Q. The LCM of two numbers is 1200. Which of the

following can not be their HCF?

A 600

B 500

C 400

D 200
 NTSE 2020

Q. The LCM of two numbers is 1200. Which of the

following can not be their HCF?

A 600

B 500

C 400

D 200
 NTSE 2020

Q. The LCM of two numbers is 1200. Which of the

following can not be their HCF?

Solution :

Let two numbers are a, b and As given

L.C.M. = 1200 of a, b. So as we know L.C.M. must
include the values of H.C.F. of both terms. Hence by
options, 500 is not a factor of 1200.
Hence it is not the H.C.F. of a, b
 NTSE 2014

Q. For positive x and y, the LCM is 225 and HCF is 15.

There

A is exactly one such pair

B are exactly two such pairs

C are exactly three such pairs

D are exactly four such pairs

 NTSE 2014

Q. For positive x and y, the LCM is 225 and HCF is 15.

There

A is exactly one such pair

B are exactly two such pairs

C are exactly three such pairs

D are exactly four such pairs

 NTSE 2014

Q. For positive x and y, the LCM is 225 and HCF is 15.

There

Solution :

Let numbers are 15x and 15y

Then 15xy = 225
⇒ xy = 15
Either x = 15, y =1
Or x = 3, y = 5
Hence (x, y) = (15, 1) or (3, 5)
 NTSE 2016

Q. Let x be the greatest number by which if we divide 366,

513 and 324, then in each case the remainder is the same.
Find the sum of digits of x.

A 2

B 5

C 3

D 4
 NTSE 2016

Q. Let x be the greatest number by which if we divide 366,

513 and 324, then in each case the remainder is the same.
Find the sum of digits of x.

A 2

B 5

C 3

D 4
 NTSE 2016

Q. Let x be the greatest number by which if we divide 366,

513 and 324, then in each case the remainder is the same.
Find the sum of digits of x.

Solution :
Since the remainder is same in each case,
The greatest number x
= HCF ( 513-366),(366-324),(513-324)
= HCF(147, 42, 189)
First we find the HCF of 147 and 189 by division method
We get, HCF(147,189) = 21
 NTSE 2016

Q. Let x be the greatest number by which if we divide 366,

513 and 324, then in each case the remainder is the same.
Find the sum of digits of x.

Solution :

Now, HCF (42, 21) = 21

Hence, we get HCF (147, 42, 189) = 21
The greatest number x = 21

Sum of digits of 21 = 2 + 1 = 3
Q. Find H.C.F. of

D 1
Q. Find H.C.F. of

D 1
Q. Find H.C.F. of

Solution :

Write given numbers in lowest form, we get

Q. Find the GCD of the numbers 2n + 13 and n + 7.
Q. Find the GCD of the numbers 2n + 13 and n + 7.

Solution :

We have gcd(2n + 13, n + 7) = gcd (n + 7, n + 6)

= gcd (n + 6, 1)
=1
Q. Find gcd (2100 – 1, 2120 – 1).
Q. Find gcd (2100 – 1, 2120 – 1).

Solution :

gcd (2100 – 1, 2120 – 1) = gcd (2100 – 1, 2120 – 2100)

= gcd (2100 – 1, 2100(220 – 1))
= gcd (2100 – 1,220 – 1)
By repeating these steps, we get
= g.c.d (220 – 1, 220 – 1)
= 220 – 1
Q. Number of pairs m > n of positive integers such that
1 = gcd(n+1, m+1) = gcd (n+2, m+2) =....gcd(m, 2m–n)
and m + n < 20 is

A 1

B 7

C 9

D 3
Q. Number of pairs m > n of positive integers such that
1 = gcd(n+1, m+1) = gcd (n+2, m+2) =....gcd(m, 2m–n)
and m + n < 20 is

A 1

B 7

C 9

D 3
Q. Number of pairs m > n of positive integers such that
1 = gcd(n+1, m+1) = gcd (n+2, m+2) =....gcd(m, 2m–n)
and m + n < 20 is

Solution :
Observe that 1 = gcd (n+r, m+r) = gcd (n+r, m-n). Thus each
of the m – n consecutive positive integers n + 1, n +2,...., m is
coprime to m – n. Since one of these is necessarily a multiple
of m – n, this is possible only when m – n = 1. Hence each
pair is of the form (n, n+1), where n ∈ N.
n + n + 1 < 20
n < 9.5 ⇒ n = 1, 2, ……, 9
Q. Prove that the fraction cannot be reduced for any
natural number n.
Q. Prove that the fraction cannot be reduced for any
natural number n.

Solution :

g.c.d (30n + 2, 12n + 1) = g.c.d (12n + 1, 6n)

= g.c.d (6n, 1)
=1