[Math] Finding a least common multiple (LCM)

polynomialsprime numbers

My Algebra 2 book explains how to find a least common multiple:

Find the least common multiple of $4x^2 – 16$ and $6x^2 – 24x + 24$.

Solution

Step 1 Factor each polynomial. Write numerical factors as products of primes.

$4x^2 – 16 = 4(x^2 – 4) = (2^2)(x + 2)(x – 2)$
$6x^2 – 24x + 24 = 6(x^2 – 4x + 4) = (2)(3)(x-2)^2$

Step 2 Form the LCM by writing each factor to the highest power it occurs in either polynomial.

LCM = $(2^2)(3)(x + 2)(x – 2)^2 = 12(x + 2)(x – 2)^2$

I don't understand their wording, and I don't want to go onto the rest of my assignment that includes finding the least common denominators until I know how to do it correctly, instead of going back and doing it over when I find out I'm doing it wrong.

Best Answer

It's kind of a weird way of saying it. $$\mathrm{lcm}(P(x),Q(x)) = \frac{P(x)\cdot Q(x)}{\gcd(P(x),Q(x))}$$

Where $$\gcd(P(x),Q(x))$$ is just the product of the terms that appear in both factorizations.

For instance $$\mathrm{lcm}(((x+1)(x+1)(x-1)),((x+1)(x-1)(x-1)))=\frac{(x+1)^3(x-1)^3}{(x+1)(x-1)}=(x+1)^2(x-1)^2 $$

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