# Minimum number to be added to minimize LCM of two given numbers

• Difficulty Level : Expert
• Last Updated : 23 Jun, 2021

Given two numbers A and B, the task is to find the minimum number that needs to be added to A and B such that their LCM is minimized.

Examples:

Input: A = 6, B = 10
Output: 2
Explanation: On adding 2 to A and B, the value becomes 8 and 12 respectively. LCM of 8 and 12 is 24, which is the minimum LCM possible.

Input: A = 5, B = 10
Output: 0
Explanation:
10 is already the minimum LCM of both the given number.
Hence, the minimum number added is 0.

Approach: The idea is based on the generalized formula that the LCM of (A + x) and (B + x) is equal to (A + x)*(B + x) / GCD(A + x, B + x). It can be observed that GCD of (A + x) and (B + x) is is equal to the GCD of (B – A) and (A + x). So, the gcd is a divisor of (B âˆ’ A).

Therefore, iterate over all the divisors of (B âˆ’ A) and if A % M = B % M (if M is one of the divisors), then the value of X(the minimum value must be added) is equal to M âˆ’ A % M.

Below is the implementation of the above approach:

## C++

 `// C++ program for the above approach`   `#include "bits/stdc++.h"` `using` `namespace` `std;`   `// Function for finding all divisors` `// of a given number` `vector<``int``> getDivisors(``int` `diff)` `{` `    ``// Stores the divisors of the` `    ``// number diff` `    ``vector<``int``> divisor;`   `    ``for` `(``int` `i = 1; i * i <= diff; i++) {`   `        ``// If diff is a perfect square` `        ``if` `(i == diff / i) {` `            ``divisor.push_back(i);` `            ``continue``;` `        ``}`   `        ``// If i divides diff then` `        ``// diff / i also a divisor` `        ``if` `(diff % i == 0) {` `            ``divisor.push_back(i);` `            ``divisor.push_back(diff / i);` `        ``}` `    ``}`   `    ``// Return the divisors stored` `    ``return` `divisor;` `}`   `// Function to find smallest integer x` `// such that LCM of (A + X) and (B + X)` `// is minimized` `int` `findTheSmallestX(``int` `a, ``int` `b)` `{` `    ``int` `diff = b - a;`   `    ``// Find all the divisors of diff` `    ``vector<``int``> divisor` `        ``= getDivisors(diff);`   `    ``// Find LCM of a and b` `    ``int` `lcm = (a * b) / __gcd(a, b);`   `    ``int` `ans = 0;`   `    ``for` `(``int` `i = 0;` `         ``i < (``int``)divisor.size(); i++) {`   `        ``// From equation x = M - a % M` `        ``// here M = divisor[i]` `        ``int` `x = (divisor[i]` `                 ``- (a % divisor[i]));`   `        ``// If already checked for x == 0` `        ``if` `(!x)` `            ``continue``;`   `        ``// Find the product` `        ``int` `product = (b + x) * (a + x);`   `        ``// Find the GCD` `        ``int` `tempGCD = __gcd(a + x, b + x);` `        ``int` `tempLCM = product / tempGCD;`   `        ``// If current lcm is minimum` `        ``// than previous lcm, update ans` `        ``if` `(lcm > tempLCM) {` `            ``ans = x;` `            ``lcm = tempLCM;` `        ``}` `    ``}`   `    ``// Print the number added` `    ``cout << ans;` `}`   `// Driver Code` `int` `main()` `{` `    ``// Given A & B` `    ``int` `A = 6, B = 10;`   `    ``// Function Call` `    ``findTheSmallestX(A, B);`   `    ``return` `0;` `}`

## Java

 `// Java program for the ` `// above approach` `import` `java.util.*;` `class` `GFG{` `  `  `// Recursive function to ` `// return gcd of a and b  ` `static` `int` `__gcd(``int` `a, ``int` `b)  ` `{  ` `  ``return` `b == ``0` `? a : ` `         ``__gcd(b, a % b);     ` `}` `  `  `// Function for finding all ` `// divisors of a given number` `static` `int``[] getDivisors(``int` `diff)` `{` `  ``// Stores the divisors of ` `  ``// the number diff` `  ``Vector divisor = ` `         ``new` `Vector<>() ;`   `  ``for` `(``int` `i = ``1``; ` `           ``i * i <= diff; i++) ` `  ``{` `    ``// If diff is a perfect` `    ``// square` `    ``if` `(i == diff / i) ` `    ``{` `      ``divisor.add(i);` `      ``continue``;` `    ``}`   `    ``// If i divides diff then` `    ``// diff / i also a divisor` `    ``if` `(diff % i == ``0``) ` `    ``{` `      ``divisor.add(i);` `      ``divisor.add(diff / i);` `    ``}` `  ``}` `  `  `  ``int` `[]ans = ``new` `int``[divisor.size()];` `  ``int` `j = ``0``;` `  `  `  ``for``(``int` `i: divisor)` `    ``ans[j] = i;` `  `  `  ``// Return the divisors` `  ``// stored` `  ``return` `ans;` `}`   `// Function to find smallest integer ` `// x such that LCM of (A + X) and ` `// (B + X) is minimized` `static` `void` `findTheSmallestX(``int` `a, ` `                             ``int` `b)` `{` `  ``int` `diff = b - a;`   `  ``// Find all the divisors ` `  ``// of diff` `  ``int``[] divisor = ` `        ``getDivisors(diff);`   `  ``// Find LCM of a and b` `  ``int` `lcm = (a * b) / ` `             ``__gcd(a, b);`   `  ``int` `ans = ``0``;`   `  ``for` `(``int` `i = ``0``;` `           ``i tempLCM) ` `    ``{` `      ``ans = x;` `      ``lcm = tempLCM;` `    ``}` `  ``}`   `  ``// Print the number ` `  ``// added` `  ``System.out.print(ans);` `}`   `// Driver Code` `public` `static` `void` `main(String[] args)` `{` `  ``// Given A & B` `  ``int` `A = ``6``, B = ``10``;`   `  ``// Function Call` `  ``findTheSmallestX(A, B);` `}` `}`   `// This code is contributed by 29AjayKumar`

## Python3

 `# Python3 program for the above approach` `from` `math ``import` `gcd`   `# Function for finding all divisors` `# of a given number` `def` `getDivisors(diff):` `    `  `    ``# Stores the divisors of the` `    ``# number diff` `    ``divisor ``=` `[]`   `    ``for` `i ``in` `range``(``1``, diff):` `        ``if` `i ``*` `i > diff:` `            ``break`   `        ``# If diff is a perfect square` `        ``if` `(i ``=``=` `diff ``/``/` `i):` `            ``divisor.append(i)` `            ``continue`   `        ``# If i divides diff then` `        ``# diff / i also a divisor` `        ``if` `(diff ``%` `i ``=``=` `0``):` `            ``divisor.append(i)` `            ``divisor.append(diff ``/``/` `i)`   `    ``# Return the divisors stored` `    ``return` `divisor`   `# Function to find smallest integer x` `# such that LCM of (A + X) and (B + X)` `# is minimized` `def` `findTheSmallestX(a, b):` `    `  `    ``diff ``=` `b ``-` `a`   `    ``# Find all the divisors of diff` `    ``divisor ``=` `getDivisors(diff)`   `    ``# Find LCM of a and b` `    ``lcm ``=` `(a ``*` `b) ``/``/` `gcd(a, b)`   `    ``ans ``=` `0`   `    ``for` `i ``in` `range``(``len``(divisor)):`   `        ``# From equation x = M - a % M` `        ``# here M = divisor[i]` `        ``x ``=` `(divisor[i] ``-` `(a ``%` `divisor[i]))`   `        ``# If already checked for x == 0` `        ``if` `(``not` `x):` `            ``continue`   `        ``# Find the product` `        ``product ``=` `(b ``+` `x) ``*` `(a ``+` `x)`   `        ``# Find the GCD` `        ``tempGCD ``=` `gcd(a ``+` `x, b ``+` `x)` `        ``tempLCM ``=` `product ``/``/` `tempGCD`   `        ``# If current lcm is minimum` `        ``# than previous lcm, update ans` `        ``if` `(lcm > tempLCM):` `            ``ans ``=` `x` `            ``lcm ``=` `tempLCM`   `    ``# Print the number added` `    ``print``(ans)`   `# Driver Code` `if` `__name__ ``=``=` `'__main__'``:` `    `  `    ``# Given A & B` `    ``A ``=` `6` `    ``B ``=` `10`   `    ``# Function Call` `    ``findTheSmallestX(A, B)`   `# This code is contributed by mohit kumar 29`

## C#

 `// C# program for the ` `// above approach` `using` `System;` `using` `System.Collections.Generic;`   `class` `GFG{` `  `  `// Recursive function to ` `// return gcd of a and b  ` `static` `int` `__gcd(``int` `a, ``int` `b)  ` `{  ` `  ``return` `b == 0 ? a : ` `         ``__gcd(b, a % b);     ` `}` `  `  `// Function for finding all ` `// divisors of a given number` `static` `int``[] getDivisors(``int` `diff)` `{` `  `  `  ``// Stores the divisors of ` `  ``// the number diff` `  ``List<``int``> divisor = ``new` `List<``int``>();`   `  ``for``(``int` `i = 1; i * i <= diff; i++) ` `  ``{` `    `  `    ``// If diff is a perfect` `    ``// square` `    ``if` `(i == diff / i) ` `    ``{` `      ``divisor.Add(i);` `      ``continue``;` `    ``}`   `    ``// If i divides diff then` `    ``// diff / i also a divisor` `    ``if` `(diff % i == 0) ` `    ``{` `      ``divisor.Add(i);` `      ``divisor.Add(diff / i);` `    ``}` `  ``}` `  `  `  ``int` `[]ans = ``new` `int``[divisor.Count];` `  ``int` `j = 0;` `  `  `  ``foreach``(``int` `i ``in` `divisor)` `    ``ans[j] = i;` `  `  `  ``// Return the divisors` `  ``// stored` `  ``return` `ans;` `}`   `// Function to find smallest integer ` `// x such that LCM of (A + X) and ` `// (B + X) is minimized` `static` `void` `findTheSmallestX(``int` `a, ` `                             ``int` `b)` `{` `  ``int` `diff = b - a;`   `  ``// Find all the divisors ` `  ``// of diff` `  ``int``[] divisor = getDivisors(diff);`   `  ``// Find LCM of a and b` `  ``int` `lcm = (a * b) / __gcd(a, b);`   `  ``int` `ans = 0;`   `  ``for``(``int` `i = 0;` `          ``i < divisor.Length; i++) ` `  ``{` `    `  `    ``// From equation x = M - a % M` `    ``// here M = divisor[i]` `    ``int` `x = 0;` `    `  `    ``if` `(divisor[i] != 0)` `      ``x = (divisor[i] - ` `      ``(a % divisor[i]));`   `    ``// If already checked for` `    ``// x == 0` `    ``if` `(x == 0)` `      ``continue``;`   `    ``// Find the product` `    ``int` `product = (b + x) * ` `                  ``(a + x);`   `    ``// Find the GCD` `    ``int` `tempGCD = __gcd(a + x,` `                        ``b + x);` `    ``int` `tempLCM = product / ` `                  ``tempGCD;`   `    ``// If current lcm is ` `    ``// minimum than previous ` `    ``// lcm, update ans` `    ``if` `(lcm > tempLCM) ` `    ``{` `      ``ans = x;` `      ``lcm = tempLCM;` `    ``}` `  ``}` `  `  `  ``// Print the number ` `  ``// added` `  ``Console.Write(ans);` `}`   `// Driver Code` `public` `static` `void` `Main(String[] args)` `{` `  `  `  ``// Given A & B` `  ``int` `A = 6, B = 10;`   `  ``// Function Call` `  ``findTheSmallestX(A, B);` `}` `}`   `// This code is contributed by 29AjayKumar`

## Javascript

 ``

Output:

`2`

Time Complexity: O(sqrt(B – A))
Auxiliary Space: O(max(A, B))

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