Answers>Maths>IB>Article

How does Euclid's algorithm give solutions to equations?

Euclid's algorithm is really useful to be able to, firstly, see if two numbers are co-prime, in other words to see if they share any common factors, but also to find solutions to equations. Say we have two integers that satisfy: 32x + 24y = 16 Then we use Euclid's algorithm to first calculate the greatest common divisor (gcd) of 32 and 24. Hopefully, the method of this is ok? So we get gcd(32,24) = 8. Now, we can reverse what we did to get our solutions to the equation above. But don't forget that we had the equation equal to 16, not 8. This is often used in exams to trip up students, so look out for that.

AR
Answered by Abby R. Maths tutor

1782 Views

See similar Maths IB tutors

Related Maths IB answers

All answers ▸

Solve the equation sec^2 x+ 2tan x = 0, 0 ≤ x ≤ 2π. IB May 2017 Exam


Write down the expansion of (cosx + isinx)^3. Hence, by using De Moivre's theorem, find cos3x in terms of powers of cosx.


3 girls and 4 boys are seated randomly on a bench. Find the probability that the girls set together and the boys sit together.


Given h(x) = 9^x + 9 and g(x) = 10*3^x, find {x | h(x) < g(x)}.


We're here to help

contact us iconContact ustelephone icon+44 (0) 203 773 6020
Facebook logoInstagram logoLinkedIn logo

MyTutor is part of the IXL family of brands:

© 2025 by IXL Learning