Consider the table, ( rows are enumerated and columns are enumerated ), which is filled with positive integers. Let be the (least common multiple) of all numbers in the row, , and let be the (greatest common divisor) of numbers . Also, let be the of all numbers in column, , and let be the of numbers . Is it true that is divisible by , or is divisible by ?
Solution
Answer: is divisible by .
Consider any prime number , and its power for each number in the table. Replace all the numbers in the table with a power of the chosen prime number. Let the table is filled with , , . Now is the greatest number from the corresponding row, and is the smallest of . Similarly, is the smallest number of the corresponding column, and is the greatest of . Thus both and are in the table. If they belong to the same row or column, then by construction. If they are in different rows and columns, find , which is the number on the intersection of the column of and the row of . Then by construction . Thus, the power of in is not less than its power in . Since is arbitrary, .
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