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Divisors
Counting and listing divisors from the prime factorisation.
If n = p₁ᵃ · p₂ᵇ · …, then every divisor picks an exponent between 0 and a for p₁, between 0 and b for p₂, and so on — which is why the number of divisors is (a+1)(b+1)…. Perfect squares are exactly the numbers with an odd count.
Worked example: divisors of 36
Step by step
- 36 = 2^{2} \times 3^{2}
Prime-factorise first.
- d(n) = (2+1) \cdot (2+1) = 9
Each divisor picks an exponent from 0 up to the prime's exponent, so multiply (exponent + 1) for each prime.
- 1, 2, 3, 4, 6, 9, 12, 18, 36
List them in increasing order.
Reveal the answer
1, 2, 3, 4, 6, 9, 12, 18, 36
Try your own
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