Some Sum and Multiple

Suppose a a and b b are integers whose sum is 216 216 and whose lowest common multiple is 480 480 . If a > b a>b , what is the value of b b ?


The answer is 96.

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1 solution

Juvin Abayon
Dec 30, 2016

Let the two integers be A A and B B , with greatest common factor g g . Then for some coprime numbers a a and b b , A = g a A = ga & B = g b B = gb Hence, A + B = g ( a + b ) = 216 A + B = g(a + b) = 216 ( E q . 1 ) (Eq. 1)

But the product of the greatest common factor and least common multiple is the product of the numbers themselves, i.e., ( G C F ) ( L C M ) = A B . (GCF)(LCM) = AB. Then,

g ( 480 ) = ( g a ) ( g b ) g(480) = (ga)(gb) or 480 = g a b 480 = gab . ( E q . 2 ) (Eq. 2)

But from E q 1 Eq 1 and E q 2 Eq 2 , a + b a + b and a b ab have no common factors . It then follows that

g = G C F g = GCF of 216 216 and 480 480

i.e., g = G C F g = GCF of ( 2 3 ) ( 3 3 ) a n d ( 2 5 ) ( 3 ) ( 5 ) (2^3)(3^3) and (2^5)(3)(5) or g = ( 2 3 ) ( 3 ) = 24. g = (2^3)(3) = 24.

From here we have a + b = 216 24 a + b = \frac{216}{24} = 9 \and a b = 480 24 ab = \frac{480}{24} = 20. Solving for a a and b b gives 4 4 and 5 5 , respectively. Hence, A = 24 ( 5 ) = 120 A = 24(5) = 120 and b = 24 ( 4 ) = 96 b = 24(4) = 96

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