NUMBER OF FACTORS

Question:
Find the number of factors of 12.

Now, this question is fairly easy. We can simply count the factors. Just remember
that both 1 and the number itself is also a factor.
So, the factors of 12 are:

12 ----> 1, 2, 3, 4, 6 and 12. Thus in total 6 factors.

But what if we had to find the factors of 576?

If we keep on counting from 1,2,3,4,6.. etc etc, It would take up a lot of time. So
there must be a simpler method to solve these questions.
Yes, there is. Let us take a closer look at how we can find the number of factors of
12 and then we will apply the same technique to find the number of factors of 576.
12 when factorised, can be written as:

12 = 22 31

This means that the maximum power of 2 is 2 and that of 3 is 1. So we can say that
12 contains 20,21,22 and 30,31.

20 30

21 31

22

Now by simply combining the different combinations of the powers of 2s and 3s, we
can find the factors. For eg, 21 31 = 6, 22 30 = 4 and so on. So again I repeat,
there are 3 powers of 2 and 2 powers of 3. Thus the number of factors is: 3 x 2 = 6
Let us apply the same technique to 576. Let us factorise 576 first. (Keep in mind
that 576 is the square of 24 for efficient calculations.)

576 = (23 x 31)2 = 26 x 32

Thus in 576, we have 7 powers of 2 (20,21,2226) and 3 powers of 3 (30,31,32).

Thus the number of factors is: 7 x 3 = 21.

So to find the number of factors of any number N, we will first have to factorise N.
Write N in the form of

N = pa x qb x r c

Where p,q and r should be prime factors (This is a very imp condition otherwise
your answer would be wrong.) Then the number of factors would simply be:
(a+1) x (b+1) x (c+1)
Solved Example 1:
Find the number of factors of 20000

20000 when factorised can be written as

20000 = 25 x 54

Thus the number of factors are: (5+1)(4+1) = 6 x 5 = 30

Solved Example 2:
Find the number of factors of 113400

113400 when factorised can be written as

113400 = 23 x 34 x 52 x 71

Thus the number of factors are: (3+1)(4+1)(2+1)(1+1) = 4 x 5 x 3 x 2 = 120

Solved Example 3:
Find the number of factors of N= 23 x 124 x 152

Pl note that the number of factors wont simply be (3+1)(4+1)(2+1)= 4 x 5 x 3 =

60 because the factors 12 and 15 arent prime. So we cant use their powers. We
have to break them down further to their factors. I hope you are familiar with the
laws of indices.
Thus the number when further factorised can be written as

N = 23 x 124 x 152
= 23 x (22 x 3)4 x (3 x 5)2
= 23 x 28 x 34 x 32 x 52
= 211 x 36 x 52

Thus the number of factors is: (11+1)(6+1)(2+1) = 12 x 7 x 3 = 252

NUMBER OF EVEN AND ODD FACTORS

Question:
1) Find the number of even factors of 60000
2) Find the number of odd factors of 60000

Let us first find the total number of factors. First we will factorise 60000.
 60000 = 25 x 31 x 54

So the total number of factors is: (5+1)(1+1)(4+1) = 6 x 2 x 5 = 60

Now the question is how many of these 60 factors are even and how many are odd.
Let us have a detailed look at the factors.

60000 = 25 x 31 x 54

20 30 50

21 31 51

22 52

23 53

24 54

25

All these powers of 2,3 and 5 are combined with each other to form factors. Thus to
form an odd factor, we can only take one power of 2 i.e. 2 0 but we can take 2 powers
of 3 and 5 powers of 5. Because only odd x odd will give us an odd factor.
Even x odd = even;
Odd x even = even;
Even x even = even.

Therefore the number of odd factors of 60000: (1)(1+1)(4+1) = 1 x 2 x 5 =

10.

And to find the number of even factors, well have to consider all the powers of 2
except 21 which is the only off factor.
Therefore the number of odd factors of 60000: (5)(1+1)(4+1) = 5 x 2 x 5 =
50.
You can also find the number of even factors as: Total number of factors Number
of odd factors =
60 10 = 50

Alternatively, you can simply remember formulae to find the number of even and
odd factors.
To find the number of even and odd factors first write down the number in the form
of its factors.
(Pl note that if 2 is not a factor of the number, there will be no even factors, all the
factors would be odd.)

N = 2 a x pb x qc
Now, Number of odd factors: (b+1)(c+1).. [Just ignore the
powers of 2]
And, Number of even factors: (a)(b+1)(c+1) [Just dont add 1
to the power of 2]

Solved Example 4:
Find the number of factors of 113400. Also find out how many of them are
odd and how many are even.

113400 when factorised can be written as

113400 = 23 x 34 x 52 x 71

Thus the number of factors are: (3+1)(4+1)(2+1)(1+1) = 4 x 5 x 3 x 2 = 120

The number of odd factors are: (4+1)(2+1)(1+1) = 5 x 3 x 2 = 30
The number of factors are: (3)(4+1)(2+1)(1+1) = 3 x 5 x 3 x 2 = 90

SUM OF FACTORS

To find the Sum of factors, simply add the different combinations we were making to
form factors. Notice that sum of the factors of 12

12 = 1+3+2+6+4+12
= (20 x 30) + (20 x 31) + (21 x 30) + (21 x 31) + (22 x 30)
+ (22 x 31)
= 20(30 x 31) + 21(30 x 31) + 22(30 x 31)
= (20 x 21 x 22) (30 x 31)

So, to find out the sum of factors of a number N, first write it down in the form of its
factors:

N = pa x qb x r c

Sum of factors: (p0 x p1 x p2 x pa) (q0 x q1 x q2 x qb) (r0 x r1 x

r2 x rc)

Solved Example 5:
Find the sum of factors of 15000

15000 when factorised can be written as

 15000 = 23 x 31 x 54

Thus the sum of factors is: (20 x 21 x 22) (30 x 31) (50 x 51 x 52 x 53 x 54) = (1+2+4)
(1+3) (1+5+25+125+625) = 7 x 4 x 781 = 21868

PRODUCT OF FACTORS

Product of factors of 12 = 1 x 2 x 3 x 4 x 6 x 12

Notice that 1 x 12 = 12, 2 x 6 = 12, 3 x 4 = 12.

Thus we get exactly 3 times 12 and the product is 12 3= 1728. Where does this 3
comes from? It is nothing but the number of factors divided by 2. So,

Product of factors = N(No of factors/2)

Now what if the number of factors is odd? No problem, keep the power as (No of
factors/2) and find out the square root of N No of factors.

Solved Example 6:
Find the product of factors of 40

First, well have to find the number of factors of 40.

40 when factorised can be written as

40 = 23 x 51

Thus the number of factors is (3+1) (1+1) = 4 x 2 = 8

So, product of factors = 408 = 48 x 100000000 = 6553600000000

Solved Example 7:
Find the product of factors of 49

First, well have to find the number of factors of 49.

49 when factorised can be written as

49 = 72

Thus the number of factors is (2+1) = 3

So, product of factors = 493/2 = (49 x 49 x 49) = 49 x 7 = 343
PERFECT SQUARE AND PERFECT CUBE FACTORS

Question: Find out the factors of 400 which are perfect squares.
This question might seem difficult at first but it really isnt. Let us factorise 400 first.

400 = 24 x 52

20 50

21 51

22 52

23

24

Now, only those factors whose power is an even number (If the power is an even
number only then it will be a perfect square.) will combine with each other to give
us factors which are perfect squares.

Thus number of factors which are perfect squares is: 3 x 2 = 6. Incidentally,

they are 1, 4, 16, 25, 100 and 400.

But what if we had to find out the number of factors which are perfect cubes? In
that case, take only those factors whose powers are multiples of 3.

400 = 24 x 52

20 50

21 51

22 52

23

24

Thus we can now take 2 powers of 2 and 1 power of 5.

Thus number of factors which are perfect squares is: 2 x 1 = 2. Incidentally,
they are 1 and 8.
Solved Example 8:
Find the number of factors of 3636 which are perfect cubes.

Let us first factorise 3636

3636 = ((2 x 3)2)36 = 272 x 372

Now, to find factors which are perfect cubes, we can take 2 0, 23, 26, 29, 212, 215,
218.. till 272 i.e. a total of 25 factors. Similarly for 3 as well, we will have 25 factors.
Thus the number of factors of 3636 which are perfect cubes is: 25 x 25 = 625.

Solved Example 9:
Find the number of factors of 3600 which are perfect squares.

Let us first factorise 3600

3600 = 24 x 32 x 52

Now, to find factors which are perfect squares, we can take 2 0, 22 and 24 i.e. a total
of 3 factors. For 3, we will have 2 factors. (3 0 and 32) Similarly for 5 as well, we will
have 2 factors. (50 and 52) Thus the number of factors of 3600 which are perfect
squares is: 3 x 2 x 2 = 12

MISCELLANEOUS

Solved Example 9:
If the number of factors of a number is odd, what can you say about the
number?

If the number of factors is odd, then the number will definitely be a perfect square.
Why? Lets take a closer look at how we find the number of factors.

If N = pa x qb x rc

Then the number of factors is: (a+1) (b+1) (c+1)

If the number of factors is odd, then it stands to reason that (a+1), (b+1) and (c+1)
are all odd. This is because only odd x odd x odd will give us an odd number. So, if
(a+1) is odd, then a should be even. Similarly, b and c are both even. So N = peven x
qeven x reven = (p x q x r)even
Thus N is a perfect square.

Solved Example 10:

Find the number of odd factors of 7!
7! = 7 x 6 x 5 x 4 x 3 x 2 x 1 = 7 x (2 x 3) x 5 x (2 x 2) x 3 x 2 x 1 = 2 4 x 32 x 51 x 71

Therefore number of odd factors: (2+1) (1+1) (1+1) = 3 x 2 x 2 = 12.

Solved Example 11:

How many divisors of 27 x 34 x 52 have unit digit 5?
To solve this question, we have to take all the powers of 5 except 5 0 but we cant
take powers of 2 as
5 x 2 will give last digit 0, not 5. Thus we have 5 powers of 3 and 2 powers of 5.
Therefore number of factors where the last digit will be 5 is: 5 x 2 = 10.

Solved Example 11:

Find the smallest number with 21 factors.
No of factors = 21 = 7 x 3.
Let the number be of the form N= pa x qb

Thus number of factors = (a+1) (b+1) = 7 x 3;

So a=6 and b=2. Therefore the form of the number is N= p 6 x q2. To find the least
value of N, we should assign the least value to p as it has the highest power and the
second least value to q as it has the lowest power.
Thus p=2 and q=3. So N= 26 x 32 = 576.

Solved Example 11:

In how many ways can you write 21 as the sum of two or more consecutive
integers?
To solve this question, just use the formula = No of factors -1

No of factors of 21 = 4. So you can write 21 as the sum of 2 or more consecutive

integers (4-1) = 3 times.
21 = 10+11
21 = 6+7+8
21 = 1+2+3+4+5+6