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Properties of GCD

The document defines and lists properties of the greatest common divisor (gcd) of integers. It defines gcd as the largest integer that divides a set of integers. The key properties are: (1) the gcd is commutative and independent of order; (2) the gcd is unchanged by sign changes; (3) the gcd is unchanged by adding integer multiples; (4) multiplying/dividing integers by the same number does not change their gcd; (5) a number is the gcd if and only if it divides the integers and all common divisors. The document lists 11 properties and their proofs.

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Samuel Silva
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322 views2 pages

Properties of GCD

The document defines and lists properties of the greatest common divisor (gcd) of integers. It defines gcd as the largest integer that divides a set of integers. The key properties are: (1) the gcd is commutative and independent of order; (2) the gcd is unchanged by sign changes; (3) the gcd is unchanged by adding integer multiples; (4) multiplying/dividing integers by the same number does not change their gcd; (5) a number is the gcd if and only if it divides the integers and all common divisors. The document lists 11 properties and their proofs.

Uploaded by

Samuel Silva
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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Properties of gcd

November 22, 2009

First, recall the definition:


Definition 1. Let a, b be integers, not both zero. The largest integer that divides
both a and b is called the greatest common divisor of a and b. Notation: gcd(a, b).
Next, give a native generation:
Definition 2. Let a1 , a2 , . . . , ak be integers, not both zero. The largest integer
that divides a1 , a2 , . . . , ak is called the greatest common divisor of a1 , a2 , . . . , ak .
Notation: gcd(a1 , a2 , . . . , ak ).
For greatest common divisor, there are many properties:
1. gcd(a, b) = gcd(b, a), and gcd( , ai , , aj , ) = gcd( , aj , , ai , )
for all i, j {1, 2, . . . , k}.
2. gcd(a, b) = gcd(a, b) = gcd(a, b) = gcd(a, b), and gcd( , ai , ) =
gcd( , ai , ) for all i {1, 2, . . . , k}.
3. gcd(a, b) = gcd(a, b + an) for all n Z, and gcd( , ai , , aj , ) =
gcd( , ai , , aj + ai n, ) for all i, j {1, 2, . . . , k} and n Z.
4. If m| gcd(a1 , , ak ), then
a ak 
1
m gcd , , = gcd(a1 , , ak ).
m m
Specially, we have
 
a1 ak
gcd , , = 1.
gcd(a1 , , ak ) gcd(a1 , , ak )
(
d|a and d|b;
5. d = gcd(a, b) if and only if
for all n N, if n|a, n|b, then n|d.
(
d|a1 , , d|ak ;
d = gcd(a1 , , ak ) if and only if
for all n N, if n|a1 , , n|ak , then n|d.

6. gcd(a, b, c) = gcd(a, gcd(b, c)).

1
7. m > 0, then gcd(ma1 , , mak ) = m gcd(a1 , , ak ).
8. gcd(a, m) = 1, then gcd(m, ab) = gcd(m, b).
9. gcd(a, m) = 1, if m|(ab), then m|b.

10. gcd(m1 , m2 ) = 1, m1 |n, m2 |n, then (m1 m2 )|n.


11. gcd(a, b) is the smallest positive linear combination of a and b.
Proof. Properties 1, 2, 3 are very easy.

4. Let d = gcd am1 , , amk and D = gcd(a1 , , ak ).




Since d| ami , we have (md)|ai for all i {1, 2, . . . , k}. Hence, md D.


Since D|ai and m|D, we have m|ai for all i {1, 2, . . . , k}. Therefore,
D ai D
m | m for all i. Hence, m d.
Therefore md = D.

5. In textbook.
6. By part 5, we know that the set of common divisors of a and b equals
to the set of divisors gcd(a, b). Hence, The set of common divisors of
a, gcd(b, c) equals to the set of of common divisors of a, and b, c.

7. By part 4.
8. gcd(m, b) = gcd(m, b gcd(a, m)) = gcd(m, gcd(ba, bm)) = gcd(m, ba, bm) =
gcd(m, ab).
9. By part 8, gcd(m, b) = gcd(m, ab) = |m|, therefore m|b.

10. By part 9 or part 11.


11. In textbook.

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