Gcd(a,b,c)lcm(a,b,c)=abc => a,b,c relatively prime in pairs

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In summary, the prime factorizations of a,b, and c are: a=2^{e_1}3^{e_2}\cdots p^{e_i} b=2^{f_1}3^{f_2}\cdots p^{f_i} c=2^{g_1}3^{g_2}\cdots p^{g_i} and if a,b,c are coprime, then gcd(a,b)=gcd(b,c)=gcd(a,c)=1.
  • #1
kingwinner
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Claim: If gcd(a,b,c)lcm(a,b,c) = abc, then gcd(a,b)=gcd(b,c)=gcd(a,c)=1.

I'm trying to understand why this is true...
How can we prove it?

Any help is appreciated!
 
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  • #2
Start by the prime factorizations of a,b and c, then use the expressions for the gcd and lcm in terms of these.
 
  • #3
What do you mean?
I've written out the prime factorizations of a,b, and c. But I don't know what to do next...
 
  • #4
If the prime factorizations of a, b and c are:

[tex]a=2^{e_1}3^{e_2}\cdots p^{e_i}[/tex]

[tex]b=2^{f_1}3^{f_2}\cdots p^{f_i}[/tex]

[tex]c=2^{g_1}3^{g_2}\cdots p^{g_i}[/tex]

(If a particular prime factor doesn't appear in the factorization, its exponent is zero)

Then you should know that:

[tex]gcd\left(a,b,c\right)=2^{min \left\{e_1,f_1,g_1\right\}}3^{min \left\{e_2,f_2,g_2\right\}}\cdots p^{min\left\{e_i,f_i,g_i\right\}}[/tex]

And:

[tex]lcm\left(a,b,c\right)=2^{max \left\{e_1,f_1,g_1\right\}}3^{max \left\{e_2,f_2,g_2\right\}}\cdots p^{max\left\{e_i,f_i,g_i\right\}}[/tex]

Now plug these in your equality and see what must happen for the exponents to agree.
 
  • #5
I think we'll then have min{ei,fi,gi}+max{ei,fi,gi}=ei+fi+gi, but why does this imply gcd(a,b)=gcd(b,c)=gcd(a,c)=1?
 
  • #6
For a given i, what must happen to the ei's, fi's and gi's for that equality to be true? For example, can they all be > 0?
 
  • #7
Use that [tex]\text{gcd}(a,b,c)=\text{gcd}(\text{gcd}(a,b),c)[/tex], and likewise for [tex]\text{lcm}[/tex]. Also, the fact that [tex]\text{gcd}(a,b)\text{lcm}(a,b)=ab[/tex] might come in handy. You can extract a lot of information from the equation using this, and you do not have to go the way through their respective prime factorizations.
 

FAQ: Gcd(a,b,c)lcm(a,b,c)=abc => a,b,c relatively prime in pairs

1. What is the meaning of "gcd(a,b,c)lcm(a,b,c)=abc"?

The notation "gcd(a,b,c)lcm(a,b,c)=abc" means that the greatest common divisor (gcd) of a, b, and c multiplied by the least common multiple (lcm) of a, b, and c is equal to the product of a, b, and c. In other words, the product of the gcd and lcm of three numbers is equal to the product of those three numbers.

2. What does it mean for a, b, and c to be relatively prime in pairs?

A set of numbers is considered relatively prime if they have no common factors other than 1. When we say that a, b, and c are relatively prime in pairs, it means that any two of the three numbers do not share any common factors.

3. How can we prove that a, b, and c are relatively prime in pairs if gcd(a,b,c)lcm(a,b,c)=abc?

We can prove this statement using the fundamental theorem of arithmetic, which states that every positive integer can be expressed as a unique product of primes. Since the gcd and lcm of three numbers are also products of primes, if their product is equal to the product of the three numbers, it means that the three numbers do not share any common prime factors, hence they are relatively prime in pairs.

4. Can we extend this statement to more than three numbers?

Yes, the statement holds true for any number of numbers. For example, if we have four numbers a, b, c, and d, and their gcd and lcm satisfy the equation gcd(a,b,c,d)lcm(a,b,c,d)=abcd, then it means that these four numbers are relatively prime in pairs.

5. How is this statement useful in mathematics?

This statement is useful in many areas of mathematics, such as number theory, algebra, and cryptography. It helps us understand the properties of relatively prime numbers and their relationship with gcd and lcm. It also has applications in solving problems related to divisibility, prime factorization, and solving equations involving multiple unknowns.

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