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Greatest Common Factor



The greatest common factor (or greatest common divisor) of a set of natural numbers is the largest natural number that divides each member of the set evenly (with no remainder). For example, 6 is the greatest common factor of the set because 1246 = 2, 1846 = 3, and 3046 = 5.



Similarity, the greatest common factor of a set of polynomials is the polynomial of highest degree that divides each member of th set with no remainder. For example, 3(x+2)3 (x-4)2, 12(x+2)4 (x-4)3 (x2+x+5), and 6(x+2)2 (x-4) have 3(x+2)2 (x-4) for the highest common factor. Polynomials is the polynomial of highest degree that divides each member of the set with no remainder. For example, 3(x+2)3 (x-4)2, 12(x+2)4 (x-4)3 (x2+x+5), and 6(x+2)2 (x-4) have 3(x+2)2 (x-4) for the highest common factor.

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