The GCD (Greatest Common Divisor) is the largest number that divides evenly into two or more given numbers. The LCM (Least Common Multiple) is the smallest number that is a multiple of two or more given numbers.
GCD and LCM are related in that they both involve finding a common factor between two or more numbers. GCD focuses on finding the largest common factor, while LCM focuses on finding the smallest common multiple.
GCD and LCM are used in many real-life situations, such as simplifying fractions, finding the lowest common denominator in fractions, and in computer algorithms for optimizing tasks.
No, the GCD and LCM of two or more numbers cannot be 0. This is because 0 is not a factor of any number, and the GCD and LCM are defined as the largest and smallest common factors, respectively.
To calculate the GCD of two or more numbers, you can use the Euclidean algorithm, which involves finding the remainder when dividing one number by the other and repeating until the remainder is 0. To calculate the LCM, you can use the prime factorization method, which involves breaking down each number into its prime factors and then finding the product of the highest powers of each prime factor.