Greatest Common Divisor (GCD) of 72 and 177
The greatest common divisor (GCD) of 72 and 177 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 72 and 177?
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 | 72 ÷ 177 = 0 remainder 72 |
| 2 | 177 ÷ 72 = 2 remainder 33 |
| 3 | 72 ÷ 33 = 2 remainder 6 |
| 4 | 33 ÷ 6 = 5 remainder 3 |
| 5 | 6 ÷ 3 = 2 remainder 0 |
Examples of GCD Calculations
| Numbers | GCD |
|---|---|
| 16 and 147 | 1 |
| 35 and 77 | 7 |
| 30 and 52 | 2 |
| 190 and 157 | 1 |
| 84 and 163 | 1 |