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I found this problem in a problem set on primitive roots (it is later used to prove other statements) and after trying for some time I couldn't solve it.

Let $r,s \in \mathbb{N}$ prove that there exists $a,b$ coprime integers such that $a | r$, $b|s$ and $lcm(r,s) = ab$

I've tried something like: $$a | r \, , \, r|lcm(r,s) \,\Rightarrow a|lcm(r,s)$$ $$b | s \, , \, s|lcm(r,s) \,\Rightarrow b|lcm(r,s)$$ As $gcd(a,b) = 1$ then: $$ab|lcm(r,s)$$

I was trying to prove the opposite but I can't find the way.

Bill Dubuque
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Cronenberg
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1 Answers1

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Let $d=\gcd(r,s)$ with factorization $\prod p_i^{a_i}$. Consider each prime factor $p_i$ of $d$ in turn in order to build two components $e,f$ with $ef=d$. If the multiplicity of $p_i$ in $r$ is $a_i$, assign $p_i^{a_i}$ to $e$, otherwise assign it to $f$.

Now set $a=r/e$ and $b=s/f$. This gives $ab = rs/d = \text{lcm}(r,s)$ and for each common prime factor of $r$ and $s$ eliminates that from one of the terms $a,b$, giving $\gcd(a,b) = 1$.

Joffan
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