What is GCD(73, 42)?

The GCD (Greatest Common Divisor) is the largest number that can divide two (or more) numbers without leaving a remainder.

The GCD of 73 and 42 is 1.

How to compute GCD(73, 42)

Comparing the divisors of 73 and 42

This first method consists in listing the divisors of the two numbers and then identifying the largest one they have in common.

Divisors of 73:

1, 73

Divisors of 42:

1, 2, 3, 6, 7, 14, 21, 42

We can see from these two lists that the greatest divisor they have in common is: 1

For small numbers, this can be done quickly. However, as numbers increase, the list of potential divisors grows longer, making this method cumbersome and less practical.

Euclid's algorithm

Fortunately, there's a much more efficient method: Euclid's algorithm. It's particularly well-suited to larger numbers. Here's how it works:

  1. Divide 73 by 42. The quotient is 1 and the remainder is 31.
  2. The previous divisor (42) is now the dividend. The remainder (31) is the new divisor. Divide 42 by 31. The quotient is 1 and the remainder is 11.
  3. The previous divisor (31) is now the dividend. The remainder (11) is the new divisor. Divide 31 by 11. The quotient is 2 and the remainder is 9.
  4. The previous divisor (11) is now the dividend. The remainder (9) is the new divisor. Divide 11 by 9. The quotient is 1 and the remainder is 2.
  5. The previous divisor (9) is now the dividend. The remainder (2) is the new divisor. Divide 9 by 2. The quotient is 4 and the remainder is 1.
  6. The previous divisor (2) is now the dividend. The remainder (1) is the new divisor. Divide 2 by 1. The quotient is 2 and the remainder is 0.
  7. When you reach a remainder of 0, the last divisor (in this case, 1) is the GCD.