Re: Finding all divisors of an integer

Crocodil Gena

This sounds like a homework problem. Yet nonetheless, let me give a shot at answering your question. Basically what you are asking for is an algorithm that finds the smallest prime number a given number is divisible by (except for the multiplicative identity). So, in your case, the smallest prime that 20 is divisible by is 2, giving your a remainder of 10. The smallest prime 10 is divisible by is, again, 2, giving you a remainder of 5. Five, in itself is prime, so you're done.

So, 20 is made up of 2,2,5, and of course the multiplicative identity. Multiplying together the different combinations of the found primes, gives you the factors you were asked to find.

Comment on Re: Finding all divisors of an integer

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Re^2: Finding all divisors of an integer by pbeckingham (Parson) on Jul 04, 2004 at 16:25 UTC
That's not at all the question that is being asked, and has nothing to do with primes. OP is asking for ~~factorization~~ all factors of a number.	[reply]
Re^3: Finding all divisors of an integer by gri6507 (Deacon) on Jul 05, 2004 at 16:40 UTC
This algorithm finds all factors of a number!	[reply]
Re^3: Finding all divisors of an integer by Anonymous Monk on Jul 21, 2010 at 23:06 UTC
If you multiply all the possible combinations of the prime factors together (and get rid of repeats), you get a list of all the factors, and the number itself. I wonder how you multiply all the possible combinations of a list...	[reply]