What is GCD(85, 32)?

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

The GCD of 85 and 32 is 1.

How to compute GCD(85, 32)

Comparing the divisors of 85 and 32

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

Divisors of 85:

1, 5, 17, 85

Divisors of 32:

1, 2, 4, 8, 16, 32

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 85 by 32. The quotient is 2 and the remainder is 21.
  2. The previous divisor (32) is now the dividend. The remainder (21) is the new divisor. Divide 32 by 21. The quotient is 1 and the remainder is 11.
  3. The previous divisor (21) is now the dividend. The remainder (11) is the new divisor. Divide 21 by 11. The quotient is 1 and the remainder is 10.
  4. The previous divisor (11) is now the dividend. The remainder (10) is the new divisor. Divide 11 by 10. The quotient is 1 and the remainder is 1.
  5. The previous divisor (10) is now the dividend. The remainder (1) is the new divisor. Divide 10 by 1. The quotient is 10 and the remainder is 0.
  6. When you reach a remainder of 0, the last divisor (in this case, 1) is the GCD.