Inspired by Sandeep Bhardwaj

Find the Lowest Common Multiple of 2 , 3 \sqrt{2},\sqrt{3} .

6 \sqrt{6} Does not exist 6 6 6 6 6\sqrt{6} 36 36

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1 solution

L.C.M. are not for irrational numbers that are not similar. Sorry I could not find a better word than "similar". Some one can help.

Not always sir .See this link .

Kalpok Guha - 6 years, 1 month ago

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You are correct. I have corrected my solution. Thank you.

Niranjan Khanderia - 6 years, 1 month ago

It's better to give a proof of it which leaves no ambiguity for the conclusion.

The notion of LCM that we're using here is that if k = LCM ( 2 , 3 ) k=\textrm{LCM}(\sqrt2,\sqrt3) , there exists positive integers a , b a,b such that,

a 2 = b 3 = k a\sqrt2=b\sqrt3=k

We prove that this cannot happen by drawing out a contradiction using the fundamental theorem of arithmetic. Square the equation above. We get,

2 a 2 = 3 b 2 2a^2=3b^2

Since 2 , 3 2,3 are primes, it follows that for equality to happen, we should have 2 b 2 2\mid b^2 and 3 a 2 3\mid a^2 . Since a , b a,b are integers, we subsequently have 2 b 2\mid b and 3 a 3\mid a which gives 2 2 b 2 2^2\mid b^2 and 3 2 a 2 3^2\mid a^2 .

Furthermore, note that if we supposedly had equality, both sides should have the same prime power (say, power of 2 2 ). But, note that we always have an odd power of 2 2 in LHS while an even power of 2 2 in RHS whatever the values of a , b a,b be. But, this is absurd by the fundamental theorem of arithmetic.

Hence, no such positive integers a , b a,b exist which further implies that k k doesn't exist.

Prasun Biswas - 5 years, 11 months ago

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