factor (number)

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Number that divides into another number exactly. It is also known as a divisor. For example, the factors of 24 are 1, 2, 4, 8, 12, and 24; and the factors of 64 are 1, 2, 4, 8, 16, 32, and 64. The highest factor of both 24 and 64 is 8. This is known as the highest common factor (HCF) of the two numbers.

The largest number to be factorized to date has 167 digits: it was split into its 80- and 87-digit factors in 1997 by US mathematicians, after 100,000 hours of computing.

See also prime number and prime factor.

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