Well That Escalated Quickly

Find the greatest common divisor of the three numbers below:

105 , 120 , 310000000000000000000000000000005. 105, 120, 310000000000000000000000000000005.


The answer is 15.

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2 solutions

Andrea Palma
Feb 27, 2016

We know that the greatest common divisor of the first two numbers 105 = 3 × 5 × 7 105=3\times5\times7 and 120 = 3 × 5 × 8 120 = 3\times5\times 8 is 15 15 .

So inclusive of the third large number 310000000000000000000000000000005 310000000000000000000000000000005 , the greatest common divisor must be 15 15 or less. Let's hope that we can prove that this large number is also divisible by 15 15 so that the greatest common divisor of these three numbers is 15 15 .

By divisiblity rules of 5, the large number is divisible by 5 because of its last digit is 5.

Similarly, by divisiblity rules of 3, the large number is divisible by 3 because the sum of digits 3 + 1 + 0 + 0 + + 0 + 5 = 9 3+1+0 + 0 + \cdots + 0 + 5 = 9 is divisible by 3.

Hence this number is indeed divisible by 15 15 , and our answer is indeed 15 \boxed{15} .

3 + 1 + 0 + 0 + . . . + 0 + 5 = 9 3 + 1 + 0 + 0 + ... + 0 + 5 = 9 :0)

E Tyson Ewing III - 5 years, 3 months ago

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Thanks! I corrected the typo.

Andrea Palma - 5 years, 2 months ago

The factorization of each number gives 105 = 3 × 5 × 7 105 = 3 \times 5 \times 7 and 120 = 3 × 5 × 8 120 = 3 \times 5 \times 8 , and 31000000000000000000000000000005 31000000000000000000000000000005 is divisible by 5 5 and 9 (since 3 + 1 + 5 = 9 3 + 1 + 5 = 9 ). Because the common factors of the numbers are the greatest common divisor of the three numbers is 15.

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