Least Common Multiple

In arithmetic and number theory, the least common multiple (also called the lowest common multiple or smallest common multiple) of two integers a and b, usually denoted by LCM(a, b), is the smallest positive integer that is divisible by both a and b. If either a or b is 0, LCM(a, b) is defined to be zero.

The LCM is familiar from grade-school arithmetic as the "least common denominator" (LCD) that must be determined before fractions can be added, subtracted or compared.

The LCM of more than two integers is also well-defined: it is the smallest integer that is divisible by each of them.

Read more about Least Common Multiple:  Overview, The LCM in Commutative Rings

Famous quotes containing the words common and/or multiple:

    The common notions that we find in credit around us and infused into our souls by our fathers’ seed, these seem to be the universal and natural ones. Whence it comes to pass that what is off the hinges of custom, people believe to be off the hinges of reason.
    Michel de Montaigne (1533–1592)

    Creativity seems to emerge from multiple experiences, coupled with a well-supported development of personal resources, including a sense of freedom to venture beyond the known.
    Loris Malaguzzi (20th century)