Greatest Common Divisor (GCD) of 144 and 159
The greatest common divisor (GCD) of 144 and 159 is 3.
What is the Greatest Common Divisor (GCD)?
The GCD of two integers is the largest positive integer that divides both numbers without leaving a remainder. It is useful in simplifying fractions, finding common factors, and in number theory.
How to Calculate the GCD of 144 and 159?
We use the Euclidean algorithm, which involves the following steps:
- Divide the larger number by the smaller number.
- Replace the larger number with the smaller number and the smaller number with the remainder from the division.
- Repeat this process until the remainder is zero.
- The non-zero remainder just before zero is the GCD.
Step-by-Step Euclidean Algorithm
| Step | Calculation |
|---|---|
| 1 | 144 ÷ 159 = 0 remainder 144 |
| 2 | 159 ÷ 144 = 1 remainder 15 |
| 3 | 144 ÷ 15 = 9 remainder 9 |
| 4 | 15 ÷ 9 = 1 remainder 6 |
| 5 | 9 ÷ 6 = 1 remainder 3 |
| 6 | 6 ÷ 3 = 2 remainder 0 |
Examples of GCD Calculations
| Numbers | GCD |
|---|---|
| 152 and 94 | 2 |
| 41 and 52 | 1 |
| 28 and 45 | 1 |
| 55 and 145 | 5 |
| 189 and 76 | 1 |