Definition:Greatest Common Divisor/Also known as
Jump to navigation
Jump to search
Definition
The greatest common divisor is often seen abbreviated as GCD, gcd or g.c.d.
Some sources write $\gcd \set {a, b}$ as $\tuple {a, b}$, but this notation can cause confusion with ordered pairs.
The notation $\map \gcd {a, b}$ is frequently seen, but the set notation, although a little more cumbersome, can be argued to be preferable.
The greatest common divisor is also known as the highest common factor, or greatest common factor.
Highest common factor when it occurs, is usually abbreviated as HCF, hcf or h.c.f.
It is written $\hcf \set {a, b}$ or $\map \hcf {a, b}$.
The archaic term greatest common measure can also be found, mainly in such as Euclid's The Elements.
Sources
- 1998: David Nelson: The Penguin Dictionary of Mathematics (2nd ed.) ... (previous) ... (next): common factor (common divisor)
- 2008: David Nelson: The Penguin Dictionary of Mathematics (4th ed.) ... (previous) ... (next): common factor (common divisor)