Question

Explain how to find a prime factorization of a number!

Answer 1

I have to write this in an open ended response!

Answer 2

There's how you might write a computer program to do it; and then how a human being does it. Which do you want?

Answer 3

Uhm... The answer!

Answer 4

Well, evaluate honestly how you do it. For example, if I asked you for the prime factorization of 720, how would you figure it out?

Answer 5

ugh!

Answer 6

easier one then. What's the prime factorization of 100?

Answer 7

excuse interruption - i answered your lcm question agbyoung

Answer 8

ok

Answer 9

i do it like steve jobs
http://www.wolframalpha.com/input/?i=factor+264575

Answer 10

jimmyrep could you answer this one to?

Answer 11

pick a number. then factor. that is what you have to do, there is no shortcut

Answer 12

the way i do it is as follows
;
if its even divide by 2
if not try 3
if it ends in 5 - try 5
7
etc

example:
factorise 2360:
2 ) 2360
2 ) 1180
2 ) 590
2 ) 295
5 ) 59

59 is a prime number

so 1260 = 2x2x2x2x5x59
or 2^4*5*59

Answer 13

i pick 72
\[72=2\times 36=2\times 2\times 18=2\times 2\times 2\times 9=2\times 2\times 2\times 3\times 3=2^3\times 3^2\]

Answer 14

\[ 100 = 10^2 = (2 \times 5)^2 = 2^2 \times 5^2 \]

Answer 15

The way I would actually do 2360 is a little differently; not better or worse, just different.

First I'd pull out the 10. Then I see 236 is divisible by 4, so I have
\[ 2360 = 10 \times 4 \times 59 \]
Now 59 is prime so now I have
\[ 2360 = (2 \times 5) \times (2 \times 2) \times 59 = 2^3 \times 5 \times 59 \]
(which IS different from Jimmy's answer, because his is not quite correct.)

Answer 16

If I were writing a computer program, I'd implement an algorithm like jimmy's

Answer 17

hhmm - oh yes - I put in one 2 too many !!!