Factors of a number

[goelmohit2002]

Can some one please tell which are the factors of a positive number say 4.

a) 1, 2, 4
or b) -4,-2,-1, 1, 2, 4

Thanks
Mohit

[supratims]

only 1,2,4

[goelmohit2002]

why not negative....

as far as I know ...factor of any integer N is any a number that gives the remainder = 0...

isn't 4 when divided by -4 gives remainder = 0 ?

Please tell what I am missing here ?

[Ben Ku]

Hi goelmohit2002,

When we are asked to list the factors of an integer N, we are looking for the POSITIVE integers that divide into integer N. Without this condition, the list of factors for a number can be extremely complicated.

[sharok50]

Hi goelmohit2002,

When we are asked to list the factors of an integer N, we are looking for the POSITIVE integers that divide into integer N. Without this condition, the list of factors for a number can be extremely complicated.

Hi Ben,

why should i take only positive factors.is it implied condition?How will the list be extremely complicated?.can you please explain?

thanks in advance

[goelmohit2002]

Hi goelmohit2002,

When we are asked to list the factors of an integer N, we are looking for the POSITIVE integers that divide into integer N. Without this condition, the list of factors for a number can be extremely complicated.

Hi Ben,

why should i take only positive factors.is it implied condition?How will the list be extremely complicated?.can you please explain?

thanks in advance

I also agree....it will be same factors with just negative sign added....

[Ben Ku]

When we are asked to list the factors of an integer N, we are looking for the POSITIVE integers that divide into integer N. Without this condition, the list of factors for a number can be extremely complicated.

If we're saying a factor is ANY number that divides evenly into N, then there are infinite possibilities. For example, we can say that 4.5 is a factor of 9 because 9 / 4.5 = 2. We can also say that -1/2 is a factor of 6 because 6 / (-1/2) = -12.

For this reason, we define factors as POSITIVE integers that divide evenly into a number.

[sharok50]

I got the point. So if we are asked to find out the factors of any integer, we are supposed to indentify positive integers only.

thanks Ben for your explanation

[Ben Ku]

Glad it helped!