[Math] Prove that numbers are coprime

number theory

How to prove that if $a$ and $b$ are coprime then $a^k$ and $b^l$ are coprime?
Please help me. I don't know how to do it.

Best Answer

For contradiction, assume $\gcd(a,b)=1$, but $\gcd\left(a^k,b^l\right)>1$. Let $p\mid \gcd\left(a^k,b^l\right)$ for some prime $p$. Then $p\mid a^k, b^l$. Also $p\mid a^k\implies p\mid a$ (by Euclid's Lemma) and similarly $p\mid b^l\implies p\mid b$. Then $p\mid a,b\implies \gcd(a,b)\ge p>1$, contradiction.

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