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Answers for “Trace the Euclidean algorithm for the pair (10, 15).”

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Find a method

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The Euclidean algorithm keeps the GCD by repeatedly applying the step gcd⁡(a,b)=gcd⁡(b,a mod b)\gcd(a,b)=\gcd(b,a\bmod b) for nonnegative aa and positive bb. This replaces the pair with the divisor and the remainder, preserving the greatest common divisor.

Conditions: aa is a nonnegative integer.; bb is a positive integer.; The operation a mod ba\bmod b computes the remainder of aa divided by bb.

Understand why

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The Euclidean algorithm terminates because the remainder in each step is strictly smaller than the previous divisor. Since the second argument is a nonnegative integer that decreases with each step, it must eventually reach zero.

Conditions: The algorithm operates on nonnegative integers.; Each step replaces the pair (a,b)(a,b) with (b,a mod b)(b, a\bmod b).; The remainder a mod ba\bmod b is strictly less than bb when b>0b > 0.

Meet the concept

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The base case for the Euclidean algorithm is when the second argument of the pair is zero. At this point, the algorithm stops, and the first argument is returned as the greatest common divisor.

Conditions: The algorithm is in the process of replacing pairs using gcd⁡(a,b)=gcd⁡(b,a mod b)\gcd(a,b)=\gcd(b,a\bmod b).; The second argument bb has reached zero.

Know when to use it

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You should stop the Euclidean algorithm when the second argument of the pair becomes zero. At this point, the first argument is the greatest common divisor.

Conditions: The algorithm is tracing the steps of the Euclidean algorithm.; The pair is represented as (a,b)(a,b).; The operation is gcd⁡(a,b)=gcd⁡(b,a mod b)\gcd(a,b)=\gcd(b,a\bmod b).

Find a method

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To trace the Euclidean algorithm for gcd⁡(10,15)\gcd(10,15), repeatedly apply the step gcd⁡(a,b)=gcd⁡(b,a mod b)\gcd(a,b)=\gcd(b,a\bmod b) until the second argument is zero. The sequence is gcd⁡(10,15)=gcd⁡(15,10)=gcd⁡(10,5)=gcd⁡(5,0)=5\gcd(10,15)=\gcd(15,10)=\gcd(10,5)=\gcd(5,0)=5.

Conditions: The initial pair is (10, 15).; The algorithm uses the Euclidean step gcd⁡(a,b)=gcd⁡(b,a mod b)\gcd(a,b)=\gcd(b,a\bmod b).; The process stops when the second argument is zero.