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Math function
LCM
Returns the least common multiple of integers.
Rarely usedDifficulty 1150 · ProficientUsage rank #255 of 520
When to use it
Least common multiple of two or more integers. The first point where two cycles line up.
The shape of it
- Syntax
=LCM(number1, [number2], ...)
Worked examples
Two numbers
=LCM(4,6) → 12
The smallest number both divide.
Three numbers
=LCM(3,5,7) → 105
Three coprime numbers multiply out.
Cycles aligning
=LCM(12,18) → 36
Deliveries every 12 and 18 days coincide every 36.
Worth knowing
- Common denominator for adding fractions.
- Batch sizes: the smallest run that fills whole packs of two different sizes.
- LCM(a,b) = a*b/GCD(a,b).
Where it goes wrong
- #NUM! for negative arguments or a result above 2^53.
- Non-integers are truncated first, which can change the answer silently.
Related
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