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Euclid's Algorithm Proof Division Algorithm

The document discusses Euclid's algorithm and the division algorithm. It proves that Euclid's algorithm allows one to find the greatest common divisor (GCD) of two integers. It also proves that multiplying both integers by an integer m does not change their GCD, as m*GCD(a,b)=GCD(ma,mb). The division algorithm states that for integers a and d (where d is not 0), there exist unique integers q and r such that a=qd+r, where 0≤r<|d|. It proves this using the well-ordering principle of integers.

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Swapnil Jagtap
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134 views

Euclid's Algorithm Proof Division Algorithm

The document discusses Euclid's algorithm and the division algorithm. It proves that Euclid's algorithm allows one to find the greatest common divisor (GCD) of two integers. It also proves that multiplying both integers by an integer m does not change their GCD, as m*GCD(a,b)=GCD(ma,mb). The division algorithm states that for integers a and d (where d is not 0), there exist unique integers q and r such that a=qd+r, where 0≤r<|d|. It proves this using the well-ordering principle of integers.

Uploaded by

Swapnil Jagtap
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
Available Formats
Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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8/22/2016

Euclid'salgorithmproofDivisionalgorithm

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MathHelp>NumberTheory>Theorems>Euclid'sAlgorithm

Wellorderingprinciple
Thewellorderingprinciple(orwellorderingaxiom)isstatedasfollows:
Everynonemptysubsetofnonnegativeintegerscontainsasmallestelement.

Divisionalgorithm,a.k.a.uniquedivisiontheorem
Theorem:Givenintegersaandd,d0,thereexistuniqueintegers,qandr,suchthata=qd+r,with
0r<|d|
Proof:
Considertheset,S,ofallnumbersoftheforma+nd,wherenisaninteger.
S={and:nisaninteger}
Scontainsatleastonenonnegativeinteger,becausethereisaninteger,n,thatensuresand0,
namely
n=|a|dmakesand=a+|a|d2a+|a|0.
Now,bythewellorderingprinciple,thereisaleastnonnegativeelementofS,whichwewillcallr,
wherer=andforsomen.Letq=(ar)/d=(a(and))/d=n.Toshowthatr<|d|,supposetothe
contrarythatr|d|.Inthatcase,eitherr|d|=amd,wherem=n+1(ifdispositive)orm=n1(ifdis
negative),andsor|d|isanelementofSthatisnonnegativeandsmallerthanr,acontradiction.Thus
r<|d|.
Toshowuniqueness,supposethereexistq,r,q',r'with0r,r'<|d|suchthata=qd+randa=q'd+r'.
Subtractingtheseequationsgivesd(q'q)=r'r,sod|r'r.Since0r,r'<|d|,thedifferencer'rmust
alsobesmallerthand.Sincedisadivisorofthisdifference,itfollowsthatthedifferencer'rmustbe
zero,i.e.r'=r,andsoq'=q.

Euclid'salgorithm
Bytheuniquedivisionprinciple,adividedbybgivesquotientqandremainderr,suchthata=bq+r,
with0r<|b|.
Considernow,asequenceofdivisions,beginningwithadividedbybgivingquotientq1andremainder
b1,thenbdividedbyb1givingquotientq2andremainderb2,etc.
a=bq1+b1,
b=b1q2+b2,
b1=b2q3+b3,
...
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Euclid'salgorithmproofDivisionalgorithm

bn2=bn1qn+bn,
bn1=bnqn+1
Inthissequenceofdivisions,0b1<|b|,0b2<|b1|,etc.,sowehavethesequence
|b|>|b1|>|b2|>...0.Sinceeachbisstrictlysmallerthantheonebeforeit,eventuallyoneofthem
willbe0.Wewillletbnbethelastnonzeroelementofthissequence.
Fromthelastequation,weseebn|bn1,andthenfromthisfactandtheequationbeforeit,weseethat
bn|bn2,andfromtheonebeforethat,weseethatbn|bn3,etc.Followingthechainbackwards,it
followsthatbn|b,andbn|a.Soweseethatbnisacommondivisorofaandb.
Toseethatbnisthegreatestcommondivisorofaandb,consider,d,anarbitrarycommondivisorofa
andb.Fromthefirstequation,abq1=b1,weseed|b1,andfromthesecond,equation,bb1q2=b2,we
seed|b2,etc.Followingthechaintothebottom,weseethatd|bn.Sinceanarbitrarycommondivisor
ofaandbdividesbn,weseethatbnisthegreatestcommondivisorofaandb.

Theorem:m*GCD(a,b)=GCD(ma,mb)
Foranyinteger,m,m*GCD(a,b)=GCD(ma,mb)
Proof:
Bytheuniquedivisiontheorem,ifadividedbybgivesquotientqandremainderr,
a=bq+r,with0r<|b|
Thenmadividedbymbgivesthesamequotientandremaindermr,
ma=mbq+mr,with0mr<|mb|
and,again,theuniquedivisiontheoremassuresusthatqandmraretheuniquequotientand
remainderofthisdivision.
FromEuclid'salgorithm,
a=bq1+b1,
b=b1q2+b2,
b1=b2q3+b3,
...
bn2=bn1qn+bn,
bn1=bnqn+1
Multiplyingeachequationbym,weobtaintheresultofEuclid'salgorithmtofindGCD(ma,mb):
ma=mbq1+mb1,
mb=mb1q2+mb2,
mb1=mb2q3+mb3,
...
mbn2=mbn1qn+mbn,
mbn1=mbnqn+1,
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provingtheresult.

Internetreferences
Mathworld:Wellorderingprinciple
Wikipedia:Divisionalgorithm,Euclideanalgorithm

Relatedpagesinthiswebsite
NumberTheoryDefinitionsParticularlytheEuclideanAlgorithmProperty,a.k.a.
Bzout'sIdentity.
ExtendedEuclideanAlgorithm,anditsuseintheChineseRemainderTheorem

ThewebmasterandauthorofthisMathHelpsiteisGraemeMcRae.

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