Factors I

Numbers is one of the most important topics for CAT and other management entrance exams, questions
from which have appeared consistently and in significant numbers in all these exams.

Key concepts discussed:

Factors (divisors) of a number are the numbers which divide the number completely.
Prime factorization is the process of expressing a composite number as a product of its prime
factor(s).

If N = ap bq cr ... , where a, b, c, are prime numbers such that a < b < c , then
o
o

Number of factors of N = (p + 1) (q + 1) (r + 1) ;
Number of even factors of N = p (q + 1) (r + 1) if a = 2;

Number of even factors of N = 0 if a 2;

Number of odd factors of N = 1 (q + 1) (r + 1) ;

o
o
o

(p + 1) (q + 1) (r + 1) ...
Number of ways of expressing N as a product of two factors (Np) =
;
2
(when N is not a perfect square);
(p + 1) (q + 1) (r + 1) ... + 1
Number of ways of expressing N as a product of two factors (Np) =
2
(when N is a perfect square);
Number of ways of expressing N as a product of two distinct factors

(Np ' ) = (p + 1) (q + 1)2 (r + 1) ... 1 (when N is a perfect square);

o

Number of ways of expressing N as a product of two co-prime factors = 2n 1 (where n is the

number of prime factors of the number);

N
Product of factors of N (N is not a perfect square) = N p

Product of factors of N (N is a perfect square) = N

o
o

1
Np
2

Sum of factors of N = (a + a + a + + a ) (b + b + b2 + + bq) (c0 + c1 + c2 ++ cr)

;
Sum of even factors of N = (a1 + a2 + + ap) (b0 + b1 + b2 + + bq) (c0 + c1 + c2 ++ cr)
(where a = 2);
Sum of odd factors of N = a0 (b0 + b1 + b2 + + bq) (c0 + c1 + c2 ++ cr) (where a = 2).

Highlight: This session deals with definition and formulae based questions which are of moderate difficulty
level.

Session

Numbers

The questions discussed in the session are given below along with their source.
Q1.

If x is a positive integer such that 2x + 12 is perfectly divisible by x, then the number of possible
values of x is
(a) 2
(b) 5
(c) 6
(d) 12
(CAT 1991)

DIRECTIONS for Question 2 : Each of these items has a question followed by two statements. As the
answer,
Mark (a), if the question can be answered with the help of statement I alone,
Mark (b), if the question can be answered with the help of statement II, alone,
Mark (c), if both, statement I and statement II are needed to answer the question, and
Mark (d), if the question cannot be answered even with the help of both the statements.
Q2.

What are the values of 3 integers a, b and c?

I. ab = 8
II. bc = 9
(CAT 1993)

Q3.

What is the number of even factors of 720.

(a) 24
(b) 25
(c) 28

(d) None of these

(CL material)

Q4.

Find the sum of factors of 480.

(a) 1512
(b) 3024

(c) 756

(d) 2268
(CL material)

Q5.

Find the product of factors of 72

(b) 365
(a) 726

(c) 29 39

(d) None of these

(CL material)

Numbers

Session

Errata:
Despite the best of our efforts, minor slips have crept into this session which are elaborated
below for your convenience.
In question no. 5, at 17:24, GP writes 162.5 = 16 4 , which should be 162.5 = 162 16 .
Hence, the product of factors of 16 is 1024.

Session

Numbers