greatest common divisor
- noun
- /ˈɡreɪtɪst ˈkɒmən dɪˈvaɪzər/
- Specialized
:
máximo común divisor
- Using the greatest common divisor, we can reduce the fraction 24/36 to its simplest form.
Examples
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To find the greatest common divisor of 12 and 15, we identify the largest number that divides both without leaving a remainder.
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So if we take the greatest common divisor of the orders, we get one.
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So this greatest common divisor defines this one here and this one.
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Now what we're going to be focusing on for the rest of today is the concept of the greatest common divisor of A&B, called the GCD of A&B.
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In mathematics, the greatest common divisor of two integers is essential for simplifying fractions.
Synonyms
The largest positive whole number that divides two or more numbers exactly
The largest number that divides evenly into two or more whole numbers without leaving a remainder
The largest number that divides two or more numbers exactly
Surface Forms
Morphology
The meaning is directly and transparently derived from combining 'greatest' (largest) with 'common' (shared among the given numbers) and 'divisor' (a number that divides another without remainder); together they straightforwardly yield 'the largest number that divides all the given numbers'. This is a standard, compositional mathematical construction found across languages, so a B1 learner who knows the constituent words can infer the MWE's meaning.
Etymology
Greatest common divisor comes from the simple idea of dividing things into equal groups. Imagine two piles of blocks and you look for the biggest group size that fits into both piles with nothing left. So, the phrase links greatest ('biggest') and common ('shared') with divisor ('a number that divides'), and it means 'the largest number that divides both numbers exactly'.
