Greatest Common Divisor (GCD) of 18 and 72
The greatest common divisor (GCD) of 18 and 72 is 18.
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 18 and 72?
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 | 18 ÷ 72 = 0 remainder 18 |
| 2 | 72 ÷ 18 = 4 remainder 0 |
Examples of GCD Calculations
| Numbers | GCD |
|---|---|
| 137 and 180 | 1 |
| 19 and 121 | 1 |
| 196 and 154 | 14 |
| 86 and 175 | 1 |
| 119 and 199 | 1 |